Anything For You
by Freckled Angel 11
Summary: SPOILER WARNING FOR ENDGAME AND FAR FROM HOME! When life in the city gets to be too dangerous, Peter and May escape to the solace of Tony's cabin to visit with Pepper and Morgan. Will Peter be able to relax and be free of trouble? Or will trouble still find him? Who will be there for him now that Tony is gone? ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

**SPOILER WARNING: This story takes place after Endgame and Far From Home. It contains major SPOILERS for both films, so do not read this until you've watched both movies. **

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**A/N: I needed to write this and then I feel I will be ready to back and finish my other stories. All of these wonderfully beautiful characters are the creations of Stan Lee and the property of Marvel. I'm just borrowing them for a short while. This story is not related to any of my other stories, so this can be read without reading any of the others**

**CHAPTER 1: The Spider's Out of the Bag**

Peter sat with his head resting on the passenger side window. He watched the rural scenery going by with disinterest and longed for the rush of the city. May was driving and humming along to the radio, trying to seem completely at ease.

Peter knew better. She was sad to leave her home in the city, the place where she and Ben once had a life together. He caused this happen. Everything bad seemed to happen because of him. First, his parents died, and while he had no real reason to blame himself for that, he truly believed that was likely his fault. Then, he lost Uncle Ben, something that was most definitely his fault. Liz lost her father, which was also most certainly his fault… since he helped put the Vulture in prison. And if he thought about it, it was his fault Mr. Stark's plane crashed when he stopped the Vulture. Mr. Stark…

Peter took a breath and shut his eyes at the thought of his beloved mentor, the man he loved like a father. He kept his eyes closed and gently pounded his head against the window, a small punishment for the damage he caused. He wasn't supposed to know, but Peter overheard a conversation between Aunt May and Happy. It was a conversation in which Happy revealed that Tony invented the time machine in order to save Peter. The time travel that brought back everyone… including Thanos. And Mr. Stark had made the ultimate sacrifice to stop Thanos from killing any more of the people he loved. No matter what anyone could say, Peter felt responsible. If Mr. Stark had just let Peter go, he would still be alive. Pepper would have her husband, and Morgan would have her father.

Peter took a deep breath and glanced over at his aunt. Her jaw was tight as she hummed. Nope… he definitely wasn't fooled. May was stressed. She hated that they had to leave the city. And why were they leaving? Because Peter had become public enemy number one. Persona non grata. The cat… or the spider, really… was officially out of the bag. The whole world learned that Peter Parker was Spider-Man… and they also believed that he brutally killed Mysterio. Mysterio… a man the world saw as a hero, and not as the villain he truly was. Mysterio's last trick was to turn Peter into the villain, and the world believed it. After all, isn't everything you see on the internet true?

Peter moved to lean his head on the back of his seat and banged his head there as well, once again reprimanding himself for causing so much trouble for the people he cared about.

"Stop that." May scolded, matter of factly. "I know what you're doing over there, Peter. I know you're blaming yourself, but you need to stop that. Right now." She gave him a sideways glance that told him she meant business.

Peter let out a frustrated breath. "You can't tell me any of this is fair, May. This isn't fair to you! Going into hiding like this is… well… it's definitely not your fault! Is it?"

May clutched the steering wheel, "AND IT'S NOT YOURS EITHER!" She burst out, seeming to surprise herself at the volume of her own voice. "Sorry… I… I didn't mean to shout, but Peter… you can't keep doing this to yourself! Everytime the bad guy gets the upper hand, you think it's your fault! It's the bad guy's fault, Peter! The bad guy and the bad guy ALONE!"

Despite his bad mood, Peter couldn't help but smile at his aunt. "May… stop with the bad guy stuff, okay? He called himself Mysterio."

"I don't care what he called himself! It's his fault that people think you're some sort of… of…" May searched for the right words and came out with, "greedy hero or something."

Peter raised an eyebrow, "Greedy hero?"

"You know… killing the other heroes and getting them out of the way so that you can be the hero."

"Ouch," Peter stated.

May suddenly hit the brakes and maneuvered the car to the side of the road. As soon as the car was in park, she turned to look at him raising a scolding finger and wagging it at him to make a point. "See! This is what I'm talking about. Blaming yourself! Stop it! I'm NOT saying that mystery man's words are true! I KNOW it's all lies! I was just saying that it's HIS fault that people are getting that idea about Spider-Man!"

"You mean about Peter Parker, right?" Peter challenged. "Because, thanks to kids at my school who confirmed that it made sense for me to be Spider-Man, Peter Parker is a jackass teenager and wannabe hero looking for attention. Nevermind how I saved them in Washington. I'm now just a jackass who wants to be the next Iron Man, and got Mysterio out of my way in an attempt to make that happen!"

May stared at him. "Stop saying jackass… saying jackass just makes you sound like an asshole!" May scolded.

Peter just blinked at her, not entirely sure of how he was supposed to respond to that.

She scrubbed her hands through her hair and took a deep breath, looking incredibly tired and forlorn. "I'm… I'm trying to be serious, Peter. I know this is not how you wanted things to go, but we'll figure this out. You and me. We always figure things out. Together."

Tears were threatening to fall from Peter's eyes. He was just as tired as Aunt May looked. "Some people think I did something to Tony on the battlefield. There are conspiracy theories now that I killed Mr. Stark! Some people think I wanted him out of the way!"

"Because they're a bunch of dumb jackasses!" May spat out.

Peter couldn't help himself. "Stop saying jackass, May. Saying jackass makes you sound like an asshole!"

May scoffed and shook her head, looking at him with nothing but love in her eyes. She could always count on Peter's sense of humor to act as his coping mechanism.

Peter laughed as he wiped away the tears that had managed to fall. His emotions were all over the place. "I hear what you're saying, May. I do. And I know the other Avengers that were on the battlefield that day are speaking on my behalf, but people tend to believe what their eyes tell them. And their eyes told them I killed a man to get ahead. There's no visual evidence of what happened the day Tony… the day he… you know."

And May did know. Her eyes told him she knew. She knew he still struggled to speak about how Tony died that day. "Oh, Peter." She leaned over grabbed Peter's hand with her own, giving it what she hoped was a reassuring squeeze. "We'll figure this out. I promise you, the others will help us sort this all out."

Peter squeezed her hand back and looked up to meet her eyes. "I still think running makes me look guilty."

May lifted her hand to swat his hand this time, "Stop! I told you… we're not running. We're just… taking a break from the city."

"Because Nick Fury told us to!" Peter insisted.

"Things were getting a little tense," May continued. "I think a little distance is a good thing. It will give people a chance to calm down a little."

Peter thought about just how tense things had gotten. Someone keyed May's car, others left her threatening notes and voicemails. There was graffiti all over their apartment. Kids at school stopped talking to him. Ned and MJ tried to stand by him, but it just made their lives more miserable. MJ was cornered by other girls in the bathroom, only to have her books and belongings flushed down the toilet. Poor Ned was even shoved into the street. Peter had barely pulled him back in time, and he had nearly been hit by a taxi. Ned and MJ's parents weren't comfortable with them being around him anymore. They believed he was dangerous, too. So, here he was… riding off with May into the rural countryside. In her car that still had the word "TRAITOR" keyed into the side. All so that he could "take a break" from the city.

Peter sighed, "Who are we kidding, May? We're on the run."

"We're keeping you safe," May insisted. "It's different."

"I can take care of myself," Peter told her.

"A sniper tried to shoot you out of the sky while you were swinging around!" May snapped.

"And I took care of it! I webbed him up and dropped him at the police station." Peter defended.

May blinked at him, "And what did that do for your reputation when J. Jonah Jameson revealed that you… ahem" May changed her voice in an attempt to sound like Jameson, "terrorized a military veteran trying to protect his country from that web-slinging menace!"

Peter rolled his eyes, "Yeah… that wasn't great. Jameson definitely spinned that whole thing around on me."

"Right! And he wasn't about to stop, Peter. So…" May put the car in drive and prepared to get back on the road, "...this is me protecting you from Jameson and other assholes like him. This is you and me taking a break from the city and going to a secure and friendly environment."

Peter gave a small smile as they went back onto the road. "It will be nice to see her," he admitted.

A look of triumph crossed May's face. She clearly believed that she successfully made her point. "Pepper or Morgan?" She asked.

Peter shrugged a little, "Both actually. But I was thinking about Morgan." Peter smiled, "She's a great kid." His smile faltered, "I just wish they had decided to move somewhere else. I'm not a big fan of the cabin."

"Oh sweetie," May replied. "That's just because it makes you think of Tony's funeral."

They were both quiet for a moment, May likely scolding herself for bringing up that particular event.

May continued, "It's beautiful there. Give it a chance. Pepper says that Tony connected with a whole other side of himself there. He found peace at the cabin with his family. And that was certainly not an easy time to find peace in the world!"

Peter considered her words, "So… you think I'll find peace up there?"

"I damn well hope so!" May said matter of factly. "God knows you deserve a little rest."

"No rest for the wicked," Peter muttered.

May didn't miss it. "You're not wicked!" She watched the road for a moment before adding, "I don't give a shit about what J. Jonah Jameson says. My boy is a hero!"

Peter smiled a little and nestled into his seat. Somehow he knew his aunt would help make this all better. He just prayed things didn't get worse before the "getting better" part could happen.

* * *

Pepper was sitting out on the porch, sipping coffee while Morgan played in the yard. It was already getting to be late morning, so she knew that May and Peter would arrive soon. She was sure to make extra coffee, knowing May would likely need something after her long drive out of the city.

If Pepper were honest, though, she made extra coffee every day. She couldn't help herself. She was so used to making a pot of coffee for two people.

She pulled her sweater up around her shoulders a little more as a cool breeze blew through the porch. She watched Morgan's hair blowing through the wind as she was pretending to fight off some imaginary foe, holding her hand up in the air as if using an Iron Man or Rescue gauntlet. Pepper shuddered involuntarily at the sight. She lifted her eyes to look away from her daughter and towards the lake. The wreath from the funeral was long gone, but the vision of Tony's first arc reactor floating across the water would never leave her. The breeze blew again and kissed at her cheeks, making her smile. She lifted a hand to her face gently, as if trying to hold onto the feeling. It was in those moments that she was convinced that Tony was still with her, placing a quick kiss to her cheek while he was on the move and working away.

Pepper was so lost in her thoughts, she barely noticed that Morgan had come to stand in front of her. She jumped a little when the little girl spoke.

"Mommy, will Petey and MayMay be here soon?" She asked.

Pepper pulled Morgan into her lap and held her close, planting a kiss to her cheek. In some ways, she felt like she needed to share the moment she had just experienced with her daughter. Passing a kiss from Tony onto Morgan's cheek. She rested her chin on top of Morgan's small head and smiled, "Petey and MayMay should be here soon. Don't you worry."

"They're coming so early!" The little girl said, excitedly. "When Mr. Happy comes, it's usually later."

"Well… they left the city very early this morning." Pepper told her. "When fewer people were awake to see them leave," She thought to herself.

"That just means I can play with Petey more today! I can't wait to show him the lego sets you bought for us!"

Pepper chuckled at her daughter's enthusiasm. She knew that Morgan craved a companion, but she struggled to think about taking her away from the safe haven Tony created for her… for them. "I'm not sure he likes being called Petey," Pepper told her playfully.

"Of course he does! It's my special name for him, so he has to like it!" Morgan insisted. And man did she look every bit like her father as she said it. "MayMay likes her special name, too!"

Pepper shook her head and laughed some more, "I'm sure she does."

The five-year-old leapt off of her mother's lap. "I'm going to go inside and set up the legos," she said. She ran towards the door, but stopped just before going inside and gave Pepper a serious look. "I will need to know the moment they're here!" She told her mother.

Pepper couldn't help herself, "Will that be all Miss Stark?"

Morgan didn't get the reference. She didn't know too much about Pepper's time as Tony's assistant, and yet she gave the perfect answer, "That'll be all, Mommy." And with that, she opened the door and entered the cabin.

Again, Pepper chuckled at her little girl. She sat back in her chair and picked up her coffee to take another sip, enjoying the warmth of the mug as she sat back. Fall was quickly approaching, and the air was growing cooler. Pepper didn't mind. Cool air just meant that she could build a fire outback. Morgan loved roasting marshmallows. It was something special that Tony started not long after the cabin was built. It started as a way for him to burn things that he had no desire to keep, but it quickly morphed into a family activity. He'd pull up holograms and tell Morgan stories, many of them about the adventures of Spider-Man. She could hear Morgan inside the house, running around and getting ready for her friend.

Those holograms and stories were the reason Morgan recognized Peter the moment she first saw him, even when the meeting was at such a sad time. Meeting Peter seemed to bring a smile to her daughter's face when few things could.

_\- Flashback-_

_Morgan was dressed in her little black dress and sitting in a corner, watching as people she didn't know came into her home and talked about her father._

_Pepper kept an eye on her as she greeted her guests. She would give her daughter some space for now. The little girl was overwhelmed with everything, and Pepper knew that she was watching the door and just waiting for a miracle. The only person who could possibly come through the door and make Morgan smile would be Tony himself. Pepper sighed, knowing her husband would never walk through that door again. She fought the tears that threatened to fall. She would be strong today. She needed to stay strong for Morgan._

_Rhodes began talking to her. She turned to Rhodey, barely registering his words. She only half-listened as he explained the plans for the memorial ceremony._

_She heard the door open again, but her attention was drawn to her daughter. Morgan sat up quickly, looking eagerly towards the door with a small smile on her face._

_Pepper's heart leapt into her throat. Some distant part of her longed to turn and see her husband. She ignored Rhodes and turned to follow her daughter's movements as she leapt to her feet and moved quickly towards the door. Morgan had weaved through the crowd, intent on getting to the newcomer. Through the crowd, Pepper saw brown wavy hair and her heart gave another jolt. The older couple that came with Scott Lang… was it Pym and Van Dyne? That didn't much matter. She took a step to look behind them and smiled. Her heart warmed at the sight. It wasn't Tony coming in… that wasn't meant to be... but her heart was just as happy to see the young man who meant so much to Tony. The young man who helped Tony Stark prepare for fatherhood._

_Pepper smiled to herself as she watched her daughter march up to Peter Parker and his aunt. At the sight of the little girl, Peter stopped and froze. The two stared at each other for quite some time, each one carefully studying the other._

_Pepper looked at Rhodey and excused herself, stepping closer to see the interaction._

_Morgan was wide-eyed as she stared at Peter. Pepper couldn't help but to give a small laugh at the look on Peter's face. He looked like a deer caught in headlights, shuffling awkwardly on his feet and looking to his aunt for help. Clearly, he had no idea on how to handle someone so small._

_Morgan used her little hand to motion for Peter to come closer to her level. Peter gave one more look at his aunt as he carefully dropped to one knee._

_As soon as Peter was eye level with Morgan, he asked, "Are you… I mean… you're Morgan, right? Wow… I… um…" Peter seemed to choke on his words a little and Pepper could see his eyes were growing misty. "...ahem… I heard so much about you."_

_"I bet I heard more about you!" Morgan said cheerfully. She leaned forward as if telling him a secret and whispered, "Daddy told me all about the adventures of Spider-Man!" She leaned back and pointed towards the kitchen. "He has a picture of you in there!" Morgan reached up and took Peter's hand. "Come on! I'll show you."_

_Pepper quietly stepped over next to May and the two women watched as Morgan practically dragged Peter in the direction of the kitchen._

_Pepper felt May's hand come up to her shoulder. "I'd ask how you are, but I think I know the answer."_

_Pepper turned to face her, understanding crossing between the two women. Pepper knew about May's husband. Tony told her the story, and she knew that May likely understood better than anyone in the room. Both women lost their husbands and were left to raise a child on their own._

_Pepper leaned towards May and gave her a hug, "I'm so glad you're both here. And I do mean HERE."_

_She could tell that May understood her meaning, "I can't believe that we were gone for 5 years."_

_The women again looked towards Morgan and Peter._

_"And yet…" May said, keeping her eyes on her nephew, "...I think I'm glad I missed the past 5 years. I couldn't live without him."_

_Pepper watched as Peter was studying the picture Morgan showed him. It was Tony's favorite picture of two of them, the one that captured just how close the two had become._

_"Neither could Tony," Pepper said quietly. "He tried… but…" Pepper couldn't finish that sentence. Instead, she just met the other woman's eyes._

_May swallowed, seeming to struggle with her words. "Yeah… Peter misses him, too."_

_\- End Flashback-_

Pepper was pulled from her memory as she heard the sound of a car coming. She stood and walked to the edge of her porch, smiling at the familiar car and its occupants. Her smile faltered as May parked the car and the word "TRAITOR" could be seen scratched into the side.

May must have seen her face. "I'm surprised we didn't get pulled over in this car," she called to her friend as she opened the door and got out.

Pepper made her way down the steps, talking to May as she went. "So you didn't have any trouble then? The plan to leave early worked?"

Peter answered as he exited the car, "Pretty much. People are up at all hours, so there were some jeers as we left, but it was fine once we left city limits."

Pepper was closer to May, hugging her first and then quickly went around the front of the car and made her way to Tony's boy. The two embraced, so much being said between them with that hug… even when no words were spoken.

"I'm so sorry your identity came out this way, Peter." Pepper told him. She smiled a little and teased, "There are easier ways to get May to bring you for a visit."

Peter gave a wry laugh, "You've got that right." He shrugged. "I think I should've let Mr. Stark introduce Spider-Man when he wanted. I think he had the right idea by sharing his identity. That was probably my best chance to get in front of all this, and I let that opportunity get away." Peter lowered his head, "I can't seem to ever get things right."

"Hey," Pepper said. "Tony had his fair share of difficulty when he revealed his identity as Iron Man. He trusted you. You made the right decision."

"Agreed." May said. "Now that we're here and away from the chaos of the city, we'll figure this out. Clear your name… both names." She smiled at him and shrugged at Pepper.

They turned at the sound of the cabin door bursting open, "Mooommmyyy! You were supposed to tell me as SOON as they got here!" Morgan scolded her mother as she ran towards the new arrivals.

"They're here," Pepper told her.

Morgan scowled at her mother momentarily before continuing her charge in Peter's direction. "Petey! You came!" She squealed, throwing herself directly into his arms.

"Woah!" Peter cried out, shifting his weight in order to keep his balance as the little Stark leapt into his arms and wrapped her tiny arms around his neck. Not even his own super powers could match the force that was Morgan Stark. "It's good to see you, too, Morgs"

The little girl gave a big smile at Peter's nickname for her. "I have EVERYTHING planned for the whole day! First we'll build legos! Mommy bought new Star Wars sets because Daddy used to talk about how much you like those! Then we'll eat lunch. We have sandwiches with extra pickles because those are your favorite!" The words were spilling out of Morgan's mouth so fast that she rivaled Peter's own rambling. "And then we need to play outside because fresh air is good for you! It's too cold to swim in the lake, but we could go out in the boat! And then we'll have hot dogs!" Morgan jumped down and went over to May, giving her a quick hug around the legs before shifting her attention back to Peter. She continued her speech as she snatched Peter's hand and began to drag him towards the cabin. "We can cook the hot dogs right over a fire outside! You'll love it! Daddy told me stories about you whenever we had a fire. Do you like roasted marshmallows? We could make S'mores! Then you can tell me stories around the…"

Morgan's voice drifted off as she and Peter disappeared inside. May hadn't missed the way Peter's troubles seemed to melt away as soon as Morgan wrapped her arms around him. She smiled at Pepper, "I think this is going to be good for him. I can't thank you enough for opening your home to us."

"Are you kidding? I'm thrilled. I can actually enjoy time with another adult while Morgan has a playmate!" Pepper responded.

May laughed out loud, "Peter only thought that being Spider-Man was exhausting! I think Morgan will keep him so busy that he'll discover a whole new level of tired."

"You've got that right." Pepper confirmed. "Here. Let me help you take your things inside."

"Thank you," May said. "We packed light. We didn't really want anyone getting suspicious."

"Smart," Pepper told her. "We can always run into town for supplies." Pepper's smile grew wider. "Peter can baby-sit and you and I can take care of the errands. That would actually be a welcome little break for me."

May laughed. "I remember when Peter was that age. I would leave Peter with Ben and take extra long at the store. It was the only chance I had to take a break!" May noticed how Pepper shifted a little, her face revealing that she wished she had her husband to watch Morgan. "How are you, Pepper? I mean, really… how are you doing?"

Pepper gave her a sad smile, "About as well as you'd expect." Pepper looked towards the house. "And how is Peter doing… really?

May finished grabbing some things and began walking with Pepper towards the house before answering, "About as well as you'd expect."

* * *

True to her word, Morgan kept Peter busy all day. If not for his abilities, Peter would have struggled to keep up with the small girl.

The day finished just as Morgan planned… around a campfire. Peter was roasting one final marshmallow. He told her stories all night. Mostly about being Spider-Man. He filled her in on some things that happened in Europe, but didn't get too detailed about Mysterio. That wound was still a little too fresh. As he lifted the marshmallow away from the flames, he heard Morgan ask, "Could you tell me the story about Germany, Petey? The one where Daddy called you Underroos?"

Peter froze. Could he tell her that story? The first mission with Iron Man was special to him. He wanted to talk about it, but the words just wouldn't come.

Pepper noticed the struggle. "You've kept Peter busy all day, sweetheart. And it's getting to be your bedtime, so any other stories will have to wait." Pepper leaned forward and snatched her daughter around the waist, tickling her a little as she pulled her in for a hug.

Morgan giggled a little, but was unwilling to give in too easily. "Awww…. Mommy! But I'm not… *yawn* ...tired."

May laughed, "You could've fooled me. It looks like Petey wore you out today."

Pepper lifted her up, "Come on. I'll get you ready and then Petey and MayMay will come in later to wish you goodnight."

Morgan whined a little as her mother carried her towards the house.

"Don't worry, Morgs. I'll be in later and we can start all over in the morning." Peter called to her.

"Yes!" Morgan said triumphantly, just before her mother took her inside.

May smiled over at Peter, "So… how was your first day at the cabin? Was it as dreadful as you thought it would be?"

Peter laughed, "You know it wasn't. Morgan kept me too busy to think about anything else."

May pushed a little more, "And?"

"And…" Peter smiled. "It was nice. You were right, Aunt May. We needed to get away from the city."

May smiled, pleased to be proven right. "I think you'll be busy everyday," she added.

"Seems that way," Peter agreed. He frowned a little. " I hate missing school. It's my junior year!"

"I know, sweetie. But as soon as we try to register you anywhere..."

Peter cut her off, "The reporters will show up and we'll probably just move somewhere else. I know."

"You can get back to school as soon as things settle," May told him. "In the meantime, you deserve the break. I think our time here will be good for everyone."

Peter was quiet for a moment before answering, "I hope you're right. I don't think I'll be able to forgive myself if I make trouble for them."

"Don't think that way, Peter. Let's just take it one day at a time."

Peter nodded. One day at a time. What could possibly go wrong?

* * *

**A/N: Side notes: I don't know where the cabin is supposed to be. I know the cabin used for filming is in Georgia, but I think of the fictional location as being in New York, maybe up towards the finger lakes or something. I'm imagining that Morgan was about 4 years old when Tony died and is now 5 years old. We will get into what I believe the other surviving Avengers are doing in future chapters. **

**Like most of my stories, there's always danger lurking in the background. Do you know what the danger could be? Stay tuned and find out. I'm hoping to get back into frequent updates with my stories in the weeks ahead. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Marvel characters still belong to Marvel. I'm just playing with them. **

**CHAPTER 2: The Good, the Blip, and the Ugly**

Peter was resting in his room. It had already been three days since he first arrived at the cabin, and Morgan kept him busy while May and Pepper enjoyed each other's company. He and Morgan had already put together 2 lego sets. One was Princess Ariel's castle with only 115 pieces, and the other was more to Peter's liking with over 4,000 pieces. Too bad that was also a castle… the Disney Castle. He joked with Pepper about buying the wrong sets, asking where the Star Wars legos were hidden. Pepper just told him that Disney owns Star Wars, so it's practically the same thing.

Peter chuckled at the recent memory. Apparently Morgan was picking the lego sets, and there were some Star Wars legos that could be put together later.

Thinking about Star Wars and legos made Peter think about Ned. He missed his friends. He and May left so early on Saturday morning. They wanted to have the weekend before people noticed that he wasn't in school on Monday… which was today. He hadn't even dared to look at his phone since he left the city. He knew Ned and MJ would be angry that he left without saying goodbye, but he was afraid that he would tell them too much. He hated keeping secrets from them, especially since they knew about his Spider-Man identity before other friends.

After taking a deep breath, Peter turned on his phone.

"123 texts and 25 missed calls?" Peter said aloud, stunned by the activity that was left on his phone. He scrubbed a hand over his face and scrolled through them.

All of the missed calls were from Ned and MJ, with voicemails left after some of those calls. He skipped that and jumped over to scan the texts. Most of the messages were again from his two best friends, but there were some from other kids.

FLASH: WTF PARKER. WHERE DID YOU DISAPPEAR TO THIS TIME? OFF TO KILL THOR OR SOMETHING, DICKHEAD? 3:00 pm

FLASH: I THOUGHT SPIDER-MAN WAS BETTER THAN THIS. THEN, I LEARNED IT WAS PENIS PARKER UNDER THE MASK. I GUESS I SHOULDN'T BE SURPRISED THAT YOU DISAPPEARED. THAT'S WHAT YOU DO BEST. YOU VANISH. 3:15 pm

Peter squinted at the phone. It almost seemed like Flash was simply disappointed in him. Peter even suspected that Flash did respect Spider-Man, and he was just feeling like Spider-Man let him down somehow.

Peter shrugged off thoughts of Flash and started scrolling through the group chat he had with Ned and MJ.

Ned: Dude… where are you? I haven't heard from you all weekend! Did you forget about the Spanish test today? 10:00 am

MJ: You have an appointment today or something? Coming late? 10:22 am

Ned: Don't make me sit alone with MJ at lunch, dude. Not cool. Betty thinks we're crushing on each other! And I miss Betty! 11:34 am

Ned:  Don't give Betty a reason to hate me! I really think I want to get back together with her! 11:34 am

MJ: Gross. She already hates you, loser. She and the other traitors turned their backs on us when they learned that Peter is Spider-Man. 11:35 am

MJ: Sorry, Peter. No offense. We still want to hang out with you. 11:36 am

Ned: Our parents don't care if we see you at school… I don't think. 11:36 am

MJ: Hello? I'm calling you at lunchtime. You better pick up. 11:45 am

MJ: Why weren't you in school today? I tried to call you. 2:45 pm

Ned: Did something happen? 2:45 pm

MJ: Are you okay? 2:46 pm

MJ: Answer me, loser 2:47 pm

Ned: We're at your apartment. Open the door or we're coming in 3:13 pm

MJ: I stole a key, and I'm not afraid to use it. You better not be dead in there! 3:14 pm

Ned: Dude, why is your closet empty? 3:15 pm

MJ: Why is there so little food in the fridge?! 3:15 pm

Ned: May isn't the best cook, but you eat more food than this! Where are you? 3:16 pm

MJ: I'm back outside. I don't see May's car… What's going on? 3:20 pm

Ned: Is it a mission? Did May go with you? That doesn't make sense. 3:21 pm

MJ: You left, didn't you? 3:22 pm

Peter stopped reading. There were more text messages. Some were in the group chat and others were individual messages, all filled with either concern or frustration. There were also more phone calls after that. He slammed his head on his pillow and closed his eyes. He hated leaving them like that, but he thought it would be better if they didn't know. They couldn't lie about things they didn't know.

Peter's thumb hovered over the call button. He wanted to talk to them in the worst way.

There was a loud knock on the door and Peter dropped his phone at the sound of it. "Peter?" May called, opening the door. She looked at him for a moment as he lay on his bed, "Morgan tire you out already kiddo?"

"Umm… yeah… er… no…" Peter smiled. "I'm just… taking a break. I thought I'd check my phone." He picked up the object and held it up for her to see.

A look of concern crossed May's features, "How many calls?"

"Too many," Peter told her. "I should've looked at my phone sooner."

May shook her head, "It might be better just to ignore it, Peter. I don't think we need to know what's happening back home. Let's just enjoy the quiet while we can."

Peter frowned, "They're worried about me."

"Who?" May asked. "The citizens of New York? The World? Have they forgiven Spider-Man so quickly?"

Peter rolled his eyes, knowing his aunt was being sarcastic. "Ha...Ha…" he deadpanned. "No...Ned and MJ… most of the texts and calls are from them. My friends are worried."

An unreadable expression crossed May's features, "Are you sure they're still your friends? I talked to their parents…" she hesitated before continuing. "...Not my favorite conversation. I didn't even know Mrs. Leeds could use so many curse words!"

Peter dropped his head, "Their parents are worried and being over-protective, but Ned and MJ are still my friends! I'm positive!"

May must have noticed how his finger hovered over the call button, "You removed anything that could be used to track you, right?"

"Of course!" Peter responded. "I just think I should let them know I'm alive… I owe them at least that much!"

"Dinner's ready… couldn't you just send a text?" May asked. "Pepper made Tony's favorite pasta dish. Apparently, it was his mother's recipe. Morgan wants you to try it. She helped make the sauce."

Peter pondered her words. It would be rude to make his hosts wait for him, but he had already made his friends wait so long for an explanation. "I don't know, May…" he started.

Morgan called from the kitchen, telling them the food was getting cold.

"How about this? Text them and just say that you'll call later." May suggested. She didn't wait for him to respond. Instead, she turned and likely made her way to the kitchen table.

Peter sighed and entered the group text with his friends. He didn't want to say too much in a text. He felt like other people could see it.

Peter: Will call as soon as I can. Sorry. Really… I'm so sorry. 6:37 pm

He didn't wait to see if they got back to him. He turned his phone back off and left his room to enjoy some dinner. He might need the nourishment to give him strength to survive the impending interrogation from his friends.

* * *

During dinner, Peter allowed himself to forget the stress over his phone calls. As a matter of fact, he was allowing himself to forget a lot of things since he arrived at the cabin. It was nice to escape the noise. It was weird because Peter used to love the noise of the city. But that noise turned into something more sinister when the people lost trust in their local hero. J. Jonah Jameson was everywhere... TV screens, phone screens, computer screens… ALL screens. People all over the city (the world, even) were listening to lies, and they believed that Peter Parker/Spider-Man was a hero-killing menace.

So, yeah… it was nice to escape to a place where the people loved him. Even if that place only had 3 other people at the moment. And they loved him as Peter Parker and as Spider-Man. They loved every part of him completely, and that was something that Peter really needed right now. There was no criticism or guilt… just love from his own special version of family.

May stood up and began to clear the table.

"Oh, May…" Pepper started. "You don't need to do that!"

"You made dinner! Of course I do!" May insisted.

"You did us enough of a favor by not cooking the meal at all, May" Peter teased.

"Hey!" May yelled, throwing a napkin at his head.

Pepper and Morgan laughed. "That's not where I was going with that," Pepper said, also clearing the table and moving to clean up the kitchen.

Peter followed their lead and also moved to help out.

"I just meant that you two are guests," Pepper told them. "I like cleaning up. Besides you two are already such a help. Morgan and I feel lucky to have you."

"You're more fun than Gramps," Morgan chimed in. "He tells good stories, but Mommy did most of the work when he was here."

Peter and May froze. "Gramps?" Peter asked curiously.

"Your father?" May asked Pepper.

Pepper chuckled, "No." She looked at Morgan. "Sweetie, why don't you go get ready for bed?"

Morgan stuck out her lower lip then looked at Peter. "Will you tell me a bedtime story when I'm ready?"

Peter shrugged, "Sure. Why not?"

"Yes!" Morgan cried, rushing off to get ready for bed just as her mother asked, especially if it meant Peter would be telling her a bedtime story.

They all laughed a little before getting back to work at cleaning up the kitchen.

There was an awkward silence before Peter asked, "Umm… so… who's Gramps? Please tell me it's Happy!"

Pepper smiled. "It's not Happy."

Peter and May shared a look. She still hadn't answered the question.

Pepper finished drying the pan she had cleaned. When she was done, she leaned against the counter and looked at the other two.

"Steve." She told them.

"Who's Steve?" May asked.

At the same time Peter asked, "Rogers?"

"Rogers?" May repeated upon hearing Peter's question. "Steve Rogers? Isn't that..."

"...Cap's alive?!" Peter interrupted.

Pepper just nodded. May was quiet. Peter still had questions.

"Wait a minute… I didn't think he came back from the mission to return the infinity stones!" Peter exclaimed. "Why couldn't Fury ask him to help us with Mysterio if he was alive this whole time?!" The frustration and disappointment were clear in his voice.

"Peter…" Pepper said, her voice placating. "...Steve is like, I don't know… 105 years old or something! He's not exactly in prime fighting shape these days."

The look on Peter's face was one of complete shock. And confusion. Mostly shock. But still a little confused. He had no idea what to say.

May spoke for him, "When did Captain America get so old? I thought we were only gone for 5 years."

Peter found his words, "Did you say ONE HUNDRED and FIVE years old? One. Zero. Five. That's what I heard you say, right?"

Pepper shrugged, "Something like that."

"WHAT?!" May and Peter exclaimed at the same time.

"I saw him at the funeral! He was NOT that old," May insisted.

Peter looked thoughtful and suddenly everything clicked into place. He looked up at Pepper, "He stayed in the past, didn't he? He didn't die in his mission to return the stones… he stayed back and grew old with… um… his girlfriend… um…" Peter was snapping his fingers and trying to remember the name of Steve Roger's girlfriend.

May took a breath and put a hand to her heart. "Oh my goodness!" She gushed. "Did he find Peggy Carter? I always loved the stories about Captain America and Peggy Carter! Were the stories true?"

Pepper put her hands up to indicate that she would explain. "Steve didn't really tell us too much. He wanted to keep his years… his life… private. But… I do believe that he found Peggy." She smiled and continued. "He wears a wedding band on his left hand now, so I think they were even married."

Peter mirrored Pepper's smile, "He got to live in a timeline where they grew old together."

May tightened the hands that she held over her heart, "Oh my God! That is so sweet!"

"So… he stayed here at the cabin for awhile?" Peter asked

Pepper nodded. "He acted like he needed a place to stay," she said. "But I think he really wanted to make sure that Morgan and I were going to be alright. He helped us adjust." She smiled wider and looked at the other two, "I actually think he's quite capable for an old man."

"Still spry, huh?" Peter asked.

Pepper looked deep in thought for a moment. "Not exactly spry… just… more capable than any other man his age." She suddenly had an idea. "He's like Mr. Jingles!"

"Who?" May and Peter asked together.

"You know… from Green Mile! The mouse!" Pepper insisted. "Mr. Jingles!"

"Oh from that old movie!" Peter caught on. "That mouse that lived a super long life because he was healed by that big guy?"

"Exactly!" Pepper said.

May frowned and looked at Peter, "That is NOT an old movie, Peter."

"I wasn't even born yet when it came out, so it's old to me," he shrugged. He looked back at Pepper. "So you think the serum is keeping Captain America alive longer? Like he might live a super long life or something? Just like Mr. Jingles lived a long life after he was brought back to life!"

"Right!" Pepper said cheerfully, happy to be understood.

May still looked a little confused. "So… where is Steve Rogers now?"

Pepper shook her head, uncertain. "After he left Morgan and me, I think he helped the remaining Avengers get settled. He spent some time with Sam and Bucky." She shrugged a little. "But now I think he just likes keeping to himself mostly. We think he has a house somewhere. Maybe one that he lived in with Peggy. It's hard to say." She was quiet for a moment. "He's earned the chance to have his own life."

May and Peter knew she wished that Tony had been given the same chance. An opportunity to grow old and live his own life… a life not controlled by his role as an Avenger.

"Do you…" Peter paused. "...do you think we'll ever see him again?" Peter asked her.

Pepper smiled. "Oh yeah. He likes to call or drop by from time to time. He keeps tabs on the team. Just like a loving Grandpa."

"His family…" Peter said quietly. He hadn't really meant to say it out loud, but the women heard him and nodded in agreement. The Avengers were more than a team. They were a family. Peter just hoped he hadn't messed up so badly with Mysterio that the others would leave him to sort it out himself. He really needed a family right now.

"I'm ready for my story!" Morgan called suddenly from upstairs.

Pepper smiled at him, "Go on! Morgan doesn't like to be kept waiting. She's a lot like her father. She wants things to happen at exactly the time she thinks they should happen."

May laughed and gestured to the kitchen. "We'll finish cleaning up here. Scoot!"

Peter smiled and turned to go take care of Morgan. As he climbed the stairs his mind drifted back to Steve Rogers. He was excited to learn that Cap was still alive. He hoped that he would have the chance to see him and talk to him. Peter figured tonight would be a good night to tell Morgan about Germany and meeting Captain America for the first time. Peter thought that he might just be ready to share that story with Morgan after all.

It was just too bad that he allowed himself to get distracted and forget that there was a phone call he was supposed to make. Would Ned and MJ be able to forgive him?

* * *

MJ was sitting on the couch in Ned's basement, waiting for one of their phones to ring. She told her mom that she was going over to Ned's house to work on a project, and the woman had reluctantly agreed. The minutes were dragging as they waited to hear from their best friend.

She blew out a breath in frustration. She couldn't believe that his first text message after days of silence was so vague. Then he disappeared again, and one text was all they had to prove Peter was even still alive. She needed to hear Peter's voice. She missed him.

MJ looked over at Ned as he was watching the latest from the Daily Bugle. J. Jonah Jameson was on the screen ranting about the lack of Spider-Man sightings and sharing his conspiracy theories.

Jameson: It's been DAYS since anyone has seen that web-slinging pest! Neighbors from his building are now coming forward to say they saw Parker and his mom… or aunt… or whoever she is get into their car and leave early Saturday morning.

"Saturday?" Ned whined. "That can't be right."

"It would explain why we didn't hear from him all weekend," MJ said.

Jameson: We have him on the run! That menace got our message! We will NOT tolerate his so-called heroics. He's a fake! A phony! A sham! He's nothing but a selfish teenager looking for attention! (A picture of Peter appears) I mean look at this kid! His face just screams entitled youth with a hero complex. He's a deceiver, folks! Don't let those innocent-looking doe eyes fool you! If you take the spotlight away from him, he might just take your life!

"Enough!" MJ said, walking over to grab her backpack. "We've heard this all before, Ned. Turn it off."

Ned closed his computer screen and looked at her in confusion, "You're leaving?"

"It's getting late. My mom will want me back home soon. It is a school night" She moved towards the door.

"But what if he decides to call you and I'm not there? You have to tell me if he contacts you!" Ned insisted.

"He's not going to call, Ned. He doesn't want to talk to us! If he did, he would have told us that he was leaving!" MJ looked mad, if not also a little hurt.

"Maybe he had to leave in a hurry," Ned protested.

MJ gave him a look. "Really? You saw the apartment. It was too neat. They planned this. It didn't look like anyone left in a hurry."

Ned looked crestfallen, "Do you think he's mad? Like, maybe he's mad that our parents didn't want us to spend as much time with him or something."

MJ threw her hands in the air, "I don't know! I don't know if he's mad. I don't know anything! We're both in the dark here, Ned."

"I'm hurt that he left the way he did, and I hate that we haven't heard from him, but…" Ned stopped, seeming to think.

"But what?" MJ prodded.

"I've known Peter my whole life. He is my BEST friend. He wouldn't do this without a good reason. He's gone off-grid for a reason," Ned told her, his eyes begging her to hear the truth in his words.

MJ sighed, "I'm sure there is a reason… I'm just not convinced that it's a good enough reason."

"You know him… he probably thinks he's doing us a favor," Ned added.

"Yeah well, he needs to stop doing us favors," she shook her head. "I don't get the feeling that he's calling tonight. I'll see you tomorrow." With that, she showed herself out.

"See you tomorrow!" Ned called after her. He felt terrible. How had things gone so wrong? He looked at a picture he had taped on the wall. It was taken when they were younger, both dressed for Halloween. Peter was Han Solo and Ned was Chewbacca. They had one arm around each other and were holding up their buckets of candy with the other arm. Ned reached up and pulled the picture off the wall. He looked at the younger version of Peter in the picture and said, "I should've been there for you. Please be okay, dude. Wherever you are… just take care of yourself."

* * *

Wilbur Katsma and his son, Justin, were growing restless. Every day the people in the world were forgetting. Every day the people were trying to get back to their lives like nothing happened. People were accepting the Blip as some kind of miracle, a sign of victory. The Avengers brought back the lost and they were seen as heroes.

The happy people in the world ignored those who were suffering. Wilbur and Justin were suffering. Where was their happy ending? The Blip was no help to them. No help at all! They had been fortunate. Their family had survived the first incident. None of them disappeared. Sure they lost other relatives, but they had each other. Wilbur had his wife, his son, and their daughter. His immediate family had been spared… at least until people suddenly showed back up without a warning. His wife and daughter were driving home when the Blip happened. People reappeared in the middle of the road. His wife swerved in an attempt to miss, only to get struck by other vehicles. Now, they were gone. His wife and daughter were killed on impact. And for what reason? It was all because the Avengers couldn't just let the world move on! That's why!

Wilbur looked at his son as he worked. The cage was almost ready. The trap would be set.

The Avengers would give into their demands, or the innocent would suffer.

With a little leverage, he and his son had a chance to get what they wanted.

He smiled. It wouldn't be long now. The final adjustments were being made. They made some last minute changes, but the plan was finally set. All they had to do was execute it.

* * *

**A/N: It's all fun and games until someone has an evil plan. Who's the target? Or are there multiple targets? What dangers lie ahead and who will be the hero?**

**I had an idea to make old man Cap a Grandpa figure to Morgan. I'm not going to reveal too much, but I hope you enjoy this version of Cap in my story. He may turn up a little... or a lot. You'll have to stick around to find out. **

**Please read and review! Your words are gold!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: This is an extra long chapter. I thought about breaking it into two, but I decided to leave it long. I hope you enjoy it. Don't forget to review and leave me your thoughts! **

**Marvel still owns them. The bad guys are mine. Any similarity to real people is accidental... and perhaps a little funny. **

CHAPTER 3: Intruder Alert

* * *

Peter had collapsed into bed on Monday night, falling asleep so quickly that he never got the chance to call his friends. He would have tried to reach out or text them again Tuesday morning, but he awoke to an intruder in his room.

Peter startled awake and sat up quickly as Morgan burst into his room and jumped onto his bed.

"No! Petey! Wake up!" Morgan yelled, continuing her jumping motion on his bed. "You HAVE to help me! Please! Help!"

"Huh… what?" Peter quickly rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he tried to focus on the bouncing child. Her words made his blood run cold and his heart rate sped up. He was worried that Tony's little girl was in danger, and he would not stand by and let her be harmed in any way.

"Help me, Petey!" Morgan squealed again.

This time, Peter jumped out of his bed, flipping through the air and landing in a position in which he was ready to attack anyone who could cause Morgan any harm.

"Morgan!" Pepper called out, sounding annoyed at her daughter. "There is no reason to wake up Peter and…" Pepper stopped in the doorway when she saw Peter's position on the floor by the bed, noting that he was ready to attack if necessary. She couldn't really help herself. For the first time since losing Tony, Pepper burst out laughing… deep belly laughs. She laughed so hard that tears came to her eyes.

May came up behind her friend when she heard the laughter. She could see Peter move to a standing position next to his bed. His face was flushed with embarrassment as he turned to stare at Morgan, the latter looking quite guilty as she sat still on Peter's bed. "What's so funny? What happened?" May asked.

Pepper wiped tears away from her eyes and caught her breath, "Oh nothing!" She chuckled. "Peter here was just ready to pounce on me. Apparently, my daughter convinced him that there was danger coming and she needed protection."

May stepped into the room and looked at Morgan. "Oh, yeah? And just what did Peter need to protect you from?"

Before she could answer, Peter chimed in. He gave the little girl an accusatory look, trying to convey to her just how much she scared him. "You can't do that, Morgs! I could've hurt your mom! I thought you really needed help."

The little girl sniffled a bit, trying to hold back tears. She was clearly feeling a little intimidated and guilty. Her mom had been laughing, but Peter looked upset for reasons Morgan didn't understand. She sniffled again and said to Peter, "B-but I do need help! Mommy says I can't play with you this morning, and I want to play some more!"

Peter rolled his eyes and stood up to stretch a little. In true teenager fashion, he couldn't really hide his annoyance and frustration.

At the sight of this, Morgan's lower lip came out and she gave Peter the biggest puppy-dog eyes he'd ever seen. "Don't you want to play with me anymore?" she asked, sadly.

And then the first tear rolled down her cheek, and Peter felt like a complete ass. How was he supposed to explain all the emotions flowing through him to a five-year-old? He'd lost too many of the people he loved. People he would have done anything to help. How was he supposed to get her to understand that he was afraid to lose her, too?

Luckily, he didn't have to because Pepper stepped in, all laughter aside. "Morgan… of course Peter wants to play with you. You just scared him, that's all. He thought someone might be trying to hurt you. He's a superhero, remember? Heroes are always ready to save the day. He was just a little confused. He's not mad, sweetie."

Morgan swiped a hand over her eyes in a quick attempt to stop her tears. "You're not?" Morgan asked, hoping to confirm that Peter wasn't too upset with her.

"I was just scared, Morgs," Peter explained. "That's all."

Morgan looked confused. "But you're Spider-Man. What scares Spider-Man?"

Peter stepped forward and held his arms out to the tiny Stark.

Morgan understood the invitation, and stepped off the bed and into Peter's arms. He hugged the young girl and held her close. "It's like your mom said… I thought someone was going to hurt you. That scared me. Spider-Man is scared of watching the people he loves get hurt. That's all."

Morgan hugged Peter back and then looked him in the eyes, "Like Daddy?"

Everyone in the room froze.

"You're scared I could get hurt, too?" Morgan clarified. "Like Daddy got hurt?"

Pepper's earlier mood was now being replaced by fighting a form of tears that came very different to the kind that come from laughter. It was amazing how grief and loss sent her emotions on the craziest of roller coasters.

Peter cleared his throat in an attempt to rid himself of the lump forming there. "Yeah… something like that." It was quiet another moment before Peter had to change the subject. "But… anyway… what did you need, kiddo? What made you so sure you needed my help?"

Morgan looked forlorn, "Mommy said I needed to do school stuff this morning! She says I have to finish that before we can play!"

Peter raised his eyebrows in surprise. "School stuff?"

"MmmHmm, and I thought maybe you could convince her to let us play!" Morgan clarified.

Now Peter was the one laughing, although not quite as hard as Pepper had laughed earlier. "Oh… I see." He looked at Pepper and smiled.

Pepper was shaking her head at Morgan. "Morgan, you love your school lessons! It won't take too long, and then you and Peter can play later." Pepper held her hand out to her daughter. "Come on… Peter hasn't even had his breakfast yet. Let's give him a break and then you two can have fun later today."

Morgan reluctantly left Peter's arms and stepped forward to obediently take her mother's hand. "Okay, fine. But you have to promise that I'll still have time with Petey!"

Pepper looked at Morgan, once again being reminded of how much she looked like her father when she was determined to get her way. "Promise."

As Morgan let her mother lead her out of Peter's room, she turned back to Peter and said, "Sorry that I scared you."

"No problem, Morgs. We'll hang out later, okay?" Peter told her.

Morgan just smiled back as her mother led her away to do her work.

May was smiling at Peter. "Pepper signed her up for kindergarten. It's some online homeschooling program that they use. Apparently she gave a P.O. Box somewhere as the address so that no one could connect the dots and coming looking for her. It could be an option for you to take some classes if you'd like to look into it," May suggested.

Peter sat down on the side of his bed. He sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face, "Uh… sure. I guess it doesn't hurt to look into it."

May didn't miss the way his shoulders sagged. She could tell he was upset. "She'll be ok… Morgan will forget all about this later. Kids are resilient. She knows you weren't too upset."

Peter shrugged and looked over at his aunt. "I know that… it's just… well…" he rubbed his face again, "... it really did freak me out, Aunt May. I didn't know what was happening. I just feel like I'm more jumpy these days...like there could be a new threat at any moment."

May chuckled and Peter looked at her in confusion, unsure of what was so funny. "I clearly should have made you spend time with more children. I can promise you this won't be the last time she exaggerates or blows things out of proportion. Don't you remember what you were like at that age?"

Peter smirked, "What do you mean? I was a perfect child!"

May sat next to him and rubbed a hand down his back. "You were pretty damn near perfect, but you still weren't completely perfect. Do you remember when you were little and we ran out of your favorite ice cream?"

Peter turned beat red. "Oh no… not this again." Peter buried his face in the palm of his hands.

May continued, "You called 9-1-1 and told them you needed more cookies n' cream or you were going to die." May laughed at the memory.

Peter groaned. "Uncle Ben told me to call the number in case of emergencies! I thought that was a pretty big emergency… at the time."

"Exactly," May said. "Just like being forced to do schoolwork instead of playing seemed like a big emergency to Morgan."

Peter laughed. "I guess it was pretty funny." He shook his head. "You should've seen the look on Pepper's face when she saw me ready to attack her. It was priceless!"

May laughed with him, happy to see he was in a better mood. "I'm sure it was!" She leaned over and pulled him into a sideways hug. "Come on… there's breakfast downstairs." May stood up and motioned for Peter to follow.

Peter stood up but asked, "Oh yeah? Who made it?"

May gave him a look but answered, "Pepper made most of it, but you will be happy to know that I made the toast."

"Is it burnt?" Peter teased.

"No!" May replied, before looking a little embarrassed. "I already ate the pieces that got too dark. The rest of the toast is perfect."

"If you say so," Peter continued to tease. "I guess I'll have to be the judge of that."

"Very funny!" May told him. And with that the two made their way downstairs.

* * *

When Peter was finished with his breakfast, Morgan was still busy working on schoolwork.

Pepper had something that she wanted to show Peter, so May kept an eye on Morgan while the other two made their way to the garage.

"This is where Tony liked to work. He brought a lot of his tech here after… well… after the first time Thanos used the gauntlet. He liked to come out to the garage and tinker with his stuff. Building things was his way of clearing his head when he was overwhelmed," Pepper told Peter.

Peter looked around, seeing projects (both finished and unfinished) spread out in each corner of the garage. Peter was stunned as he took it all in, "He must of been overwhelmed a lot. There are so many projects out here!"

"Yeah, well…" Pepper shrugged. "Times were tough and some days were better than others. Coming out here was like a form of therapy for Tony. I thought you might like to look around. Maybe you'll find a few projects of your own to work on."

Peter smiled, stepping into the garage area and looking every bit like a kid in a candy store. "This is amazing," He told her. He stepped over to the far corner of the garage where he found a unit that looked a lot like the technology that he had used on the jet to build his newest suit. He pressed a few buttons, making the machine come to life. Sure enough, he was able to begin manipulating holographic plans in order to build whatever his heart desired. "There was something like this in the jet Happy used to help me when I was in Europe." Peter stared at the images in front of him for a moment before turning back to Pepper. "This is so great, Mrs. Stark… thank you."

Pepper smiled warmly at him. "Of course. I'm happy to see someone using it again. It was just taking up space before." She turned to leave, but stopped to take a moment to clarify something with Peter. "You know that you can call me Pepper, right?"

"I know," Peter shrugged. "But in this moment you are totally Mrs. Stark… everything in this room just screams 'Stark', you know?"

Peter manipulated the holographic plans in front of him and Pepper smiled. She studied Peter for a moment, thinking he looked every bit like he could have been Tony's son. "Yeah… _everything_ in this room really does."

Peter stopped and looked up at her, noting the look of pride that twinkled from her eyes as she watched him. He didn't say anything, but opted to smile at her instead.

"Anyway…" Pepper told him. "You're free to come out here anytime you want. Although…" she smiled. "I would recommend coming out here while Morgan is busy. Tony was never able to do much out here if she came with him. Most of his time was spent trying to make sure she didn't pick something up and start playing with it."

Peter laughed, "That sounds good. Thanks again! This is great."

Pepper nodded again. She stared at him a moment longer as he worked, wishing so badly that both Tony and Peter could be working together. With mixed emotions, Pepper finally turned to make her way back to her daughter.

Peter was truly excited. Ever since the news broke that Peter Parker was Spider-Man, he started to keep his web-shooters on his wrists regularly. He liked the idea of being able to use them even without his suit. It just seemed like a necessary precaution in case someone was a threat. The only problem was that his web-shooters were bulky and needed to be refilled regularly. He wanted to come up with a version of them that were a little more discreet and had a longer supply of web fluid.

Peter immediately got to work taking note of the available materials and quickly lost himself to his work. He played Tony's music and put up the garage door to let some cool air into the space. He had no concept of how much time had passed. He even used DUM-E to help him build his first prototypes.

He was just beginning to scold the robot for doing something backwards when he felt a presence outside of the garage.

Before he could see who it was, the person said, "Are you Peter Parker? Or are you some kind of Tony Stark clone? His Mini Me, perhaps?"

Peter smiled at the voice. "Colonel Rhodes!" He turned to face the man. "I had no idea you were coming today!" Peter put down what he was working on and stepped over to give the man a friendly hug. "How have you been?"

Rhodey shrugged, "Something tells me I've been better than you. Just how did you manage to get yourself framed for a murder?"

Peter rolled his eyes, "Because Fury called me in to work with a guy I didn't even know!" He frowned, "Hey… where were you while that was happening? Thanks for the back-up, War Machine!" Peter said sarcastically.

Rhodey smiled sadly, clearly feeling guilty that he wasn't there to help. "That…" he said, looking like he was having a little debate in his head. Peter thought he wanted to give a true answer, but instead he just said, "It's complicated."

Peter gave him a look, "You mean it's classified?"

Rhodey shrugged, "I mean it's complicated. The point is…" Rhodey took a deep breath, "... I can at least try to help you now. We'll sort this out. Sam, Barnes, and I have been working on some ideas with Shuri and T'Challa."

Upon hearing those names, Peter had to stop himself from asking just where those individuals were while he was fighting to save the world… even if the world wasn't in the danger he thought it was at the time. Instead, he opted to say, "What ideas? You guys think you can get the world to stop hating me?"

Rhodes stepped into the garage, looking around as he answered Peter's question. "I won't lie. It's tricky. The people trusted Spider-Man, and that trust was broken." Upon seeing the indignant look on Peter's face, Rhodes added, "Whether or not you actually did something doesn't matter. They BELIEVE you did it, and that is bad enough."

Peter sighed heavily and shook his head, following Rhodes as he explored the items in Tony's old garage. "But it's ridiculous! Beck was the murderer! He was the one putting everyone at risk in order to make himself look like the hero!"

"Exactly… and yet his plan to frame you was unfortunately a genius move… a brilliant tactic," Rhodes explained.

"Excuse me?" Peter challenged.

"Think about it, kid. Mysterio's goal was to be the hero, but the real hero was winning. So what do you do if you know you're going to lose?"

Peter just stared at him, unsure of how to answer. Rhodes continued, "You discredit the winner. He spoke out against you first. That made him look like some kind of victim exposing a villain. Anything we say at this point just sounds like an excuse… or a poor attempt at a cover up."

"BUT THERE'S NOTHING TO COVER UP!" Peter yelled in frustration. "That's the problem! I've only ever tried to help! I wouldn't hurt anyone!"

Rhodes held up his hands in a placating manner, "Take it easy, kid. Of course I know that. But you have to look at things from the point-of-view of the public. Regaining their trust will be a challenge… but it's not impossible."

Peter sat down on a stool. "So what do you have in mind?"

"Well… you and I know that the world saw doctored footage," Rhodes began.

"Okay…" Peter said, skeptical of where this was going. If one person can doctor footage, the public would be suspicious of any other footage or visual proof. Visual evidence wasn't going to help him.

"We can probably prove to the people that Tony's technology was used to manipulate the video…" Rhodes continued.

Peter cut in, voicing his earlier thoughts, "That won't be enough."

"... I know," Rhodes went on. "That's why we're trying to find the people that Beck was working with. No way he did it all alone. A production like that? No way! There's a whole cast and crew involved. Not just Beck."

Peter shook his head, uncertain of why he hadn't thought of that himself. "Of course," he said. "No way that was a one-man show! The footage itself was released after Beck's death!"

"That's what we were thinking." Rhodes confirmed. "If we can find people who worked with Mysterio, then they can confess to their part in doctoring the video that was given to the Daily Bugle."

Peter was hopeful for a moment, but it quickly faded. He lowered his head and said, "It won't be enough. Some people will still think it's a lie."

Rhodes put a hand on Peter's shoulder, "We'll never convince everyone, Pete. We just need to get the majority back on your side."

Peter sighed, "Mr. Stark would be so disappointed in me. I'm still screwing it all up!"

Rhodes used the hand on Peter's shoulder to give him a reassuring squeeze, "Hey! No way… you know that's not true. God knows Iron Man wasn't perfect. He didn't always have the popular vote, either. There was a time when a number of public officials and civilians wanted Iron Man to be grounded. They wanted Tony to give the technology to the government and step away."

"That might be true, but I still think he would be disappointed," Peter argued.

"Look at me, Pete," Rhodes said, using the nickname typically only used by Tony. When Peter had raised his eyes up to look at him, he continued. "That's impossible, okay? Not after what I saw when I came here today. You were in here using Tony's stuff like it was second nature to you. Few people can pick up and work where Tony left off. You have to be a genius to use this stuff!"

Peter blushed at the compliment, but didn't really say anything. He just looked away for a moment to scan the room and look at the technology that Rhodes was referring to.

"You see it, right? You're a genius, kid! That alone makes Tony proud. Throw in the fact that you have that big heart of yours and there's really no possible way for him to be disappointed in you!" Rhodes insisted.

Peter gave the older hero a small smile, "Thank you for that, sir. It means a lot. I want to make him proud. I want to make everyone proud!"

"I know you do, but you have to give yourself more realistic expectations, alright? No one's perfect!" Rhodes stood up and stretched, looking towards the door into the house. "Now… what do you say we see what Pepper has in that house for lunch?"

Peter looked at the clock. He didn't realize that he had been working all morning. But as soon as lunch was mentioned, his stomach growled and let him know that he was definitely in need of nourishment. "Yeah… that sounds great," Peter confirmed.

Rhodes extended a hand, partially to help him up and partially as a way to silently seal a deal with a clasp of their hands. The deal was for Peter to go easier on himself… to give himself credit for being the brilliant hero that he was.

James Rhodes put an arm around the teenager as they made their way inside. He sent a silent prayer to whoever was listening that Tony's young protegé would see just how valuable and worthy he is as a hero.

* * *

It was when they were sitting down and eating pizza for lunch that Peter again thought of his best friends. In all the chaos of worrying about regaining the trust of the public, he was completely failing at maintaining the trust of his friends. He was ready to make the call, but May insisted that he should wait until his friends would be out of school. Plus, May wanted him to stay as Rhodes updated her and Pepper on the plan to clear Peter's name.

After lunch, Morgan was all set to spend more time with him, and Peter decided he could make the call later. Ironically enough, Rhodes excused himself to go make a few calls of his own. But Peter felt like a few more hours surely wouldn't hurt anything.

Peter grabbed his web-shooters from the garage and approached Morgan. "Hey Morgs!" He said, holding out the device for her to see. "Want to go for a swing?"

Morgan's eyes grew wide with excitement. "Really? That would be so fun!"

Pepper saw what Peter had in his hand, "Umm… I don't know about that kids."

"Aww! Come on!" Both whined in unison.

Peter seemed to realize just how whiny they sounded, and changed his tone to something he hoped sounded more mature, "Ahem… Don't worry. I was just thinking about swinging around on the same tree with the tire swing. Just one tree… maybe some back and forth… and few spins around the trunk… that kind of thing."

Pepper studied him for a moment, "So you promise you won't be swinging my daughter across the lake or anything like that? I have it on good authority that you and water don't mix well."

Peter frowned, "That wasn't my fault. I got caught in the parachute!"

"Sorry… um… what are you guys talking about?" May asked with concern.

"Daddy told me that story!" Morgan said, excitedly. "Spider-Man was dropped in the lake by the Bird-Man and Iron-Man sent a suit to fish him out!"

"WHAT?!" May asked, clearly upset that Peter never shared that story with her.

"Obviously, everything turned out fine, May. It was before I even told you about Spider-Man," Peter defended.

"You didn't tell me anything. I found you… in your SUIT!" May scolded. She scrubbed a hand over her face. "Thank god Tony was keeping tabs on you!"

There was some slight tension in the room, but it dissipated when Morgan chuckled and said, "Daddy went fishing for a Spider." More chuckling. "He used to say, 'I caught me a BIG ONE!"

Morgan's laughter was contagious, and soon they were all chuckling at the story.

"Alright… you can go swinging around the tree," Pepper said when the laughter faded.

Morgan and Peter gave each other a high five as they both said "YES!" in excitement.

May and Pepper watched them go. They laughed as they watched them from the kitchen window. Peter started by swinging them back and forth, but soon he was wrapping them around the tree. It was like a game of tether ball. As soon as they were wrapped all the way around, Peter would kick them off of the trunk with enough force to wrap around in the other direction. The huge smile of Morgan's face was a sure sign that the little Stark was having a blast.

Rhodes came back in and looked to see what was so interesting outside the kitchen window. When he noticed what Morgan and Peter were doing, he couldn't help but let out an amused snort. "Will you look at that? A girl who isn't afraid of spiders or their webs. Amazing!"

Pepper gave him a playful swat on the arm before asking, "Everything okay? You were on the phone for awhile. Anything we need to be worried about?"

Rhodes shook his head, "There's always something to worry about." He turned to look away from the window and opted to lean against the kitchen counter so that he was able to look both women in the eyes as he spoke. "We tried to set everything right. We wanted to get back the people we lost, and I think we thought we would get that same world back with them." He sighed. "We didn't, of course. The world has changed. There are still plenty of people who are angry. They blame us for Thanos' attack. They think our actions prompted him to act."

"That's ridiculous. The attack wasn't just on Earth, right?" Pepper asked. "Tony told me it was the whole universe."

May paled. She often felt fortunate that she didn't have to live with the aftermath. She couldn't imagine living in a world where half of all living beings in the universe vanished. She often wondered how any of them were able to cope.

Rhodes shrugged, "People aren't exactly rational when tragedy strikes." He turned to look out at Peter as he was again swinging Morgan back and forth. He sighed, "And now… this thing that Beck did with Spider-Man…"

May finished for him, "... some people have even less faith in the remaining Avengers."

"Unfortunately," he nodded in confirmation.

Pepper turned to lean against the counter with Rhodes, so that they were standing shoulder to shoulder. "Please tell me it was worth it, Rhodey."

He turned to look at her. He didn't need to ask what she meant. He knew she was referring to Tony's sacrifice. "Hey…" he said, wrapping her in a quick hug. "He gave us a chance. There's no doubt this outcome is better than if Thanos had managed to use the stones again." He pulled out of the hug and looked her in the eyes. "We'll make this right. We won't please everyone. We never will."

"There will always be dumb-ass people out there," May said bluntly.

Pepper and Rhodes chuckled, nodding slightly in agreement.

Rhodes looked at the clock. "I should get moving." He looked at Pepper and May, "Let me know if you need anything, alright? We're only a phone call away."

The women nodded and walked him to the door. Peter and Morgan came over when they saw him leaving, and each one bid him a polite farewell.

The four stood together and watched as he pulled away.

"Time for the lake!" Morgan said enthusiastically.

"I thought I said no lake!" Pepper scolded.

"No, no…" Peter said, "Don't worry. We're done swinging. Morgan wanted to go out in the row boat for awhile," he told her.

Pepper looked thoughtful. "I don't know…"

"Please!" Morgan begged.

May looked at Peter, "Pepper and I were planning to run into town. It will just be the two of you here while we're gone. You'd have to be careful."

"Of course!" Peter told her, looking to Pepper to confirm permission to take her out.

"As long as you BOTH wear life jackets, I'm fine with it. They should be out in the storage shed by the dock," Pepper told Peter.

"Oh…" Peter said. "I'm sure…"

"You'll wear the life jacket!" May interrupted, giving Peter a pointed look.

Peter could tell his aunt was serious. Spider-Man or not, his aunt was not a force to be reckoned with. He looked back at Pepper, "I'm sure that will be great!"

She smiled triumphantly, "Good." She walked over to grab her bag and her keys. "We'll probably get going then." She moved to stand in front of Peter, staring him down. "I'm trusting you with my baby. Tony's baby. I'm trusting that you can watch her while May and I are gone for a few hours."

Peter gulped, more than a little intimidated. It was like staring down a mama grizzly. "Yes, mam."

"Alright then." Pepper told him.

"There are left-overs in the refrigerator," May chimed in. "You can heat those up for your dinner. We're going to grab a bite in town."

Peter looked surprised. "What? You're not coming back for dinner?"

"Cool!" Morgan said, clearly liking the chance to have Peter all to herself.

Pepper giggled when she saw Peter's expression, "Can't Spider-Man warm up a little dinner?"

"Well, yeah…" Peter said.

"Good!" May said, grabbing her bag. "I think Pepper and I could use a little break." She leaned forward to plant a kiss on Peter's cheek. "You've got this, sweetheart. I know you two will look out for each other." May winked at Morgan.

The little girl stood up tall, looked at May, and said, "I'll take good care of him MayMay. I'll make sure he's safe."

Both women let out sounds of amusement. Peter looked less than amused.

"I appreciate that, Morgan," May told her.

Pepper hugged her little girl, "I'll be home in time to help you get ready for bed, baby girl. You have fun, okay?"

"I will! Love you, Mama!" Morgan told her.

"Thanks, Peter. Have fun," Pepper told him, pulling him in for a quick hug as well.

"You two enjoy your break. We'll be fine," Peter confirmed.

With that, Peter and Morgan watched as their beloved guardians drove off. Once they were out of sight, Morgan grasped Peter's hand. He turned to look at her. He was amazed by the amount of trust in the young Stark's eyes when she looked at him. He felt so honored to be part of her life. It felt like it allowed him to honor Tony in a very special way.

"Shall we get our life jackets on and go out on the water?" Peter asked her.

"Yay! Let's go!" Morgan said, using her hand to now pull Peter in the direction of the lake.

* * *

Peter and Morgan spent a lot of time in the row boat. Peter, of course, did all the rowing, and he was thankful for his super strength. Otherwise, he was sure his arms would have been extremely sore. They waited until the sun was setting to get back to the dock. Peter secured the boat, and then they sat on the dock and watched the sun go down for awhile longer.

Peter's stomach was growling and he was getting hungry. He looked at Morgan. "We should probably see what your mom and May left us for dinner."

Morgan looked a little disappointed, "Aww! I like being outside."

Peter gave her what he hoped was his most brotherly look, "Listen, young lady," he jokingly scolded, making Morgan laugh at him. "It's my job to make sure you eat."

Morgan just blinked up at him.

"Okay… I'll level with you," he told her. "I'm a little scared of what your mom will do to me if I don't make sure you eat something before she gets home."

Morgan smiled at him. She stood up and took off her life jacket, handing it to Peter. "You put these away and I'll go see what's in the fridge," she offered.

Peter didn't really want to let her out of his sight, but he knew it wouldn't take him too long to put the life jackets back in the shed. "Alright. I'll be right behind you."

Morgan skipped off to go back inside, and Peter moved to put the jackets away. He still couldn't believe his aunt and Pepper insisted that he wear one. He was Spider-Man, after all. It was embarrassing!

As Peter hung them back in the shed, he shook his head at the ridiculous idea of Spider-Man needing such a thing. He was closing the door to the shed when he heard Morgan yell.

"Ahh!" She screamed. "Peter, help! PLEASE! HELP!"

For a moment, Peter was ready to go in and scold her for being dramatic again. Perhaps because she found a fridge full of broccoli or something.

However, the hairs that stood up all over his body told him that this was different. For the second time that day, Peter's blood ran cold.

He took off towards the house, preparing to use the web-shooters that were still on his wrists. Peter flung the door open, and found Morgan in the kitchen.

His blood went from freezing to boiling when he found a man holding Morgan close to his chest with a gun to her tiny head.

_"Hell no!"_ he thought. "Hey! Let her go! You want to point a gun at someone, point it at me!" Peter yelled, lifting his hand to shoot a web at the gun and hopefully disarm the intruder. Before he could do that, however, his senses flared again. He trusted his instincts and ducked before he could be hit in the head.

"Peter!" Morgan yelled in concern.

And the sound of it scared him. He had never heard Morgan use his full name, and the use of it now told him she was terrified.

There was a second intruder that had been hoping to catch him by surprise. Peter shot a web at the second guy's legs, pulling them out from underneath him and sending him to the ground. The man dropped with a pained grunt, and Peter leapt to his feet to face the man with Morgan again. He turned to find the man was using the little girl as a shield, and somehow seemed to have the gun impossibly closer to her head.

"That's enough, Spider-Man!" The gunman warned. "I guess we're going to have to try this another way."

Peter shifted his weight to move.

"Don't you even think about moving an inch!" he warned, pressing the gun into Morgan's head and making her whimper.

Peter saw red. "What the hell is wrong with you?! She's just a little girl." He couldn't believe this. He brought this trouble here. He figured these guys must have followed him from the city and now they were threatening Morgan. "Leave her alone! Your fight is with me!" Peter held out his arms. "You want me? Fine! But let the girl go!"

"No! Peter!" Morgan cried, the tears falling down her cheeks.

The man who was knocked to the floor laughed as he got back up to his feet. "Not EVERYTHING is about you, Spider-Shit!" he yelled.

Peter was confused. What did these men want? Again, he yelled at the gunman, "Lower your gun! She a helpless child!"

"She's an F-ing Stark! I don't give a damn about this little shit! She's leverage!" he argued back.

Peter felt sick. What kind of monster could talk about Morgan that way. He moved his eyes to her and spoke softly, trying to calm her, "It's going to be okay, Morgs. I'm right here."

The little girl blinked a few times and tried to take deep breaths, but it was clear that she was still terrified.

"Justin!" The gunman called to the other man. And some part of Peter hoped they weren't using real names. He didn't think it was good to know identities. These men didn't wear masks, so it felt possible they weren't bothering to hide. Nope. Peter did not feel good about this at all. His senses were going haywire and he desperately wanted to find a way to get the upper hand.

But he would NOT risk Morgan's life.

Justin finally seemed to find his feet again and looked at the gunman for further instructions.

"The bottle," the gunman said. "Put it on the table." He looked at Peter with a warning look. "You stay put and stay VERY still. You hear me?"

Peter just scowled at the man, watching as Justin pulled out a small water bottle from his jacket and placed it on the table. Justin looked at Peter as he set it down, "Drink it!"

Peter resorted to his default coping mechanism... his sarcasm and snarky comments. "No thanks. I'm not thirsty. You look a little parched, though. You can have it."

Peter noticed the gunman again pressed the gun into Morgan. "Shut up, you little shit! Drink it!"

Peter looked towards the water bottle. The seal was clearly broken and it looked a little cloudy. He swallowed hard, feeling conflicted. "I'm not leaving her!" He told them. "You have to tell me what's in the bottle!" He wouldn't lie. He thought they might kill him and take Morgan. That was not an option.

"Oh, don't you worry!" the gunman said. "You'll be right with her." He cocked the gun. "I just need you to be a bit more manageable. Now DRINK IT or the little Stark will have a new hole in her tiny body!"

Peter again looked down at Morgan's face. Somehow, there was still trust in her eyes. She believed that Peter would do anything to take care of her. He swallowed hard, trying to keep his voice calm as he spoke to her, "I have to do it, Morgs. I'm not going to let them hurt you."

She shook her head slightly and whimpered out, "No."

"We're going to be okay, kiddo," Peter moved to reach for the bottle on the table.

"SLOWLY!" Justin yelled, cocking his own gun that was pointed at Peter.

Peter briefly wondered when Justin managed to get a gun, but then realized it was likely what he had tried to use to hit him over the head earlier. He reluctantly complied, slowly lifting the water bottle off of the table. He mostly kept his eyes on Morgan and the man holding a gun to her. He simultaneously tried to give Morgan comforting looks and give the gunman threatening looks. He was following their demand, so they better not think of hurting his Morgan.

Peter looked at the bottle in his hands. His senses were firing warnings at him. He didn't think the contents would kill him, but he knew it certainly wasn't going to be good for his health. He slowly removed the cap, which led to a fearful hiccup from Morgan.

"Peter…" she whined, scared about what could happen to him.

"All of it!" Justin told him.

Peter's stomach churned. He looked at the bottle and took a couple deep breaths. It was like ripping off a bandaid. He just had to get it over with. "It's okay," he said. Although, he wasn't sure if that reassurance was meant more for Morgan or himself. Without further thought, Peter threw his head back and emptied the contents from the bottle down his throat. He gagged a little as the contents seemed a little bitter and stale as they went over his tongue.

"Good boy," the gunman said, seeming to ease the gun away from Morgan a bit. "Make sure you got it all."

Peter took the last swallow and threw the empty bottle to the floor, lifting a hand to go over his mouth in an attempt to keep himself from spitting it out. He forced himself to swallow and then took some breaths to steady himself and to stop himself from throwing it back up. His spider-senses were scolding him. He even wondered if his body's nausea was some attempt for his powers to tell him he needed to throw it up and get it out of his system before too much damage was done.

"Peter?" Morgan called to him through her whimpers.

"'s okay," he told her, breathing heavily. Peter leaned forward and put his hands on his knees, continuing to breath through the sickness. He looked back up at the gunman. "What was that? What are you trying to do?" He took a few more breaths and could feel himself beginning to sweat. "It migh' no' wor', ya know." More heavy breathing. "Drugs don' have… they don'... ugh."

Peter was trying to quell his panic. He continued to breath heavily. He wasn't sure if the heavy breathing was from the drug or his own panic over what he just put into his body.

Justin laughed. "Don't worry, Spider-Man," he said, putting his gun in the waistband of his jeans. "I made that just for you. I am quite skilled in the field of biochemistry. It'll do the job."

Peter looked back at Morgan and her captor. They must have been feeling confident because he was also lowering his gun, putting it at his side. Peter went down on his knees. He thought perhaps the contents were working, but he wasn't ready to give in. The gunman still had a hold on Morgan, but the gun wasn't pointed at her. Peter still had his web-shooters… if he could just take them out… they wouldn't expect it right now.

He had to give it one last shot. From his kneeling position on the floor, Peter tried to raise up the web-shooter on his right wrist. He aimed for the gun most likely to threaten Morgan. The webbing shot out, went over the table, and… hit the refrigerator, making Morgan jump. Peter was about to try again, but Justin stepped forward and took a hold of his wrist. He slammed Peter's wrist down to the table. Peter lifted his left wrist, but Justin took hold of it and held it down as well.

"Wh' th' 'ell?" Peter slurred, unsure of how Justin could hold him down.

"I thought it would work a little faster," Justin commented to the other man.

_"This isn't fast enough?"_ Peter thought to himself, feeling the panic continue through his veins. He looked back up at Morgan. The little girl tried to bravely move to Peter's side, but the gunman just grabbed her by the back of her shirt and yanked her to him once more.

"You're staying with me you little brat!" He scolded.

She cried, "I want Peter!"

Peter could feel himself sinking lower to the floor. His limbs felt too heavy… unnatural. Every sound was starting to seem far away and his vision was swimming. "Wh- ugh. Wh-" Words didn't seem to want to form on his lips and his tongue was heavy. It almost made him choke. He forced himself to swallow and tried once more, "Wh- y-u d-uh…" As the sound left his mouth, Peter felt himself falling. Justin continued holding his wrists and used the hold on Peter's wrists to ease him to the floor.

Justin looked at him with malice, standing over his prone form while still holding his wrists. "It's just a wicked concoction of muscle relaxers and mild sedatives. Not really enough to knock you out… I don't think. I want you to be awake for the show."

The words sounded so far away and everything was a bit blurry or seemed somehow out of focus. "Ungh…" Peter let out a groan.

"Shouldn't really be able to talk either," Justin told him. Justin dropped the left wrist, taking time to inspect the right one. He fiddled with the web-shooter for a moment. "Ah hah!" He found the release and the device dropped from his wrist. He then proceeded to remove the shooter from the left wrist and kicked the devices aside.

"Check his pockets!" Gunman called, seeming to do a quick scan of Morgan to look for any pockets on her outfit.

Justin was invasive as he looked through Peter's front and back pockets. He found some web-fluid canisters and threw them aside. He searched the zippered hoodie that Peter was wearing, but didn't find anything there. "Huh… what kind of teenager doesn't carry a cell phone?" he mused.

Peter inwardly groaned, especially since actual sounds seemed impossible._ "I might have it on me if I had actually called my friends,"_ he thought. Some part of Peter's brain wondered if they would ever hear from him again, but he tried to push that back. His body was no longer under his control. He couldn't move, and yet he still had some awareness of what was happening around him. It was terrifying! He was trapped inside his own body!

He heard Morgan whimper and tried to see what was happening. The gunman had picked her up and thrown her over his shoulder. Morgan used her little hands, balling them into fists and slamming them into his back. "NO! LET ME GO! HELP! HELP! PETER! MOMMY! MAY! HELP! SOMEONE! PLEASE! DADDY" The words came out quickly as Tony and Pepper's little girl was carried away from the safety of her home.

_"What have I done?"_ Peter thought to himself. The worst part was hearing her call for her father. He wanted to cry, but he wasn't sure his body was even capable of that. Justin stepped over him and leaned over his face, "You're coming too, Parker. The more the merrier." Justin then grabbed Peter's wrists again, pulling them over his head and yanking him towards the door through which Morgan was taken.

_"At least I'll be with her,"_ Peter told himself. _"I'm going with her, Mr. Stark. I'm not leaving her alone."_ Some part of him longed for his mentor. Tony would know what to do. Tony never would've let this happen. He was right in his earlier conversation with Rhodey... Tony would be so disappointed.

Justin was groaning above his head. "Ugh! DAD!" he called. "He's heavier than he looks! I'm going to need some help over here once the kid's in her cage!"

_"DAD?"_ Peter thought._ "These guys are father and son? And what was that about a cage?"_ He'd kill them. As soon as he could move again, they were dead.

Justin continued to struggle, pulling him slowly out of the cabin. Peter could hear distant sounds, but it was hard to focus. He thought maybe it was a car door opening, Morgan still calling for help, threats from the other man… he couldn't be sure. Before long, both men were dragging Peter along, even dragging him down the steps, which didn't feel great. They dropped him to the ground behind what looked to be a van. From Peter's position on the ground, he thought he saw what looked like an extra large animal crate in the back.

Justin took out his gun and looked at Morgan. "He's coming in with you. Move to the back so we can get him in." He cocked the gun but thankfully aimed it at Peter. "Try to run and I put a bullet in him and leave him here for your mommy to find."

Peter thought he heard Morgan cry and it sounded like he heard shifting as well, likely her moving to the back.

The father opened the cage and then helped his son lift Peter inside. There was shoving. Peter was bent in ways he shouldn't have been, pushed and shoved, but finally they managed to get him inside. Peter was looking for Morgan. He couldn't move his head, but his eyes were searching for her. He wanted to call to her and talk to her, but nothing wanted to work right. He heard the door to the cage close and it sounded like a lock was put in place before the back door to van itself was closed.

With everything he had, Peter tried to call out to Morgan. "Ugnuh." The sound that came out was strangled, nothing like an actual word. Yet, Morgan finally crawled into his view.

The men were up front and driving away already, celebrating their success by the sound of it.

"Woo! It begins!" One of them said, but Peter couldn't be sure which one. "Haha! We got us an Avenger and a baby Avenger!"

"Ahh… who are you kidding? We have two babies in the back!" the other said. This was followed by laughter.

Peter was far from amused. He kept his eyes on Morgan as they went, who just curled up next to him. She kept her eyes on his, letting silent tears fall down her chubby cherub cheeks.

Peter hated these men. He HATED them. Morgan didn't deserve this. She should've been protected from this. Peter SHOULD have been the one to protect her from this. Instead, he let himself be drugged. Correction… he really drugged himself so that they could do whatever they wanted to him. Peter closed his eyes in frustration. _"What kind of hero lets himself get taken like this? How could I let them hurt Morgan like this? What the hell was I thinking?"_ he thought.

"Peter…" Morgan whispered. "P-please d-d-don't close your eyes. I need you."

Peter blinked his eyes back open, hoping his eyes would let her know that he was there. He wasn't going to leave her.

Morgan's hands were suddenly on Peter's face. "Don't cry…" she whispered, sniffling back her own tears. "I'm here."

Peter hadn't realized he was crying. He couldn't even feel his own tears, but if he could he thought perhaps he was crying harder at that last statement from Morgan. He didn't want her here! She didn't belong here. She wasn't safe here!

His mind screamed. He felt like he was in a cage inside of another cage. His own body already confining him, with the extra cage giving no room for escape.

Morgan studied him a moment before tapping his cheek. "Can you hear me, Peter?" she whispered.

Peter just blinked.

"You closed your eyes. Is that a yes?" She whispered again. It seemed like focusing on Peter was making the little girl calm, so Peter closed his eyes again in response.

"You did it again! Is that really a yes?"

Another blink.

"You're really in there!" Morgan whispered in excitement. She leaned forward, leaning her body over Peter's in an awkward sort of hug.

Peter realized it must be confusing for Morgan to see him like this. He needed to try to reassure her and let her know he was alive.

She sat up and looked at him again. She looked up towards the front of the van, but the men weren't paying any attention to their captives at the moment. Satisfied that they weren't listening, Morgan asked more questions. "You sure you hear me?"

Blink

"Can you see me?"

Blink

"Can you move?"

_"Hold your eyes open, Peter. Don't blink,"_ He thought to himself.

"Oh no…" Morgan whimpered a little. She was trying not to cry.

Peter felt his heart breaking with every moment. He needed to get her out of here.

"Was it that water?" She asked.

Blink

"Why can't you talk?" She asked.

Peter just stared at her. _"Yes or No questions, Morgs,"_ he thought.

"Oh…" Morgan seemed to think for a second. "Can you not talk?"

Blink

"Why would you drink that water?" she scolded.

_"I'm asking myself the same question right now,"_ Peter thought. _"Oh yeah… It was a very bad attempt to keep you safe."_ Peter just stared at her.

She studied him more, looking him up and down. "They have you twisted all funny. It doesn't look comfy."

Peter stared at her a little more. _"I wouldn't know. Can't feel much, kiddo… I'll probably feel it later."_

Morgan leaned back and put her hands on her little hips. "I can fix you," she whispered.

Peter hadn't blinked in awhile. He wanted to tell her no. He wanted her to sit still. But he blinked… unintentionally. So he tried to blink rapidly, hoping to communicate, _"No no no."_

She didn't get that message. "Okay!" She whispered. "Settle down… I got this."

_"Shit,"_ Peter thought to himself, frustrated that he couldn't communicate better.

Morgan pushed with all her might, scrunching up her little face in the process. Under any other circumstances, Peter would've found this adorable. Not in this scenario, though. He just hating himself more for being useless.

Suddenly, he was staring at the top of the cage._ "Huh… I must have been on my side."_

"There…" Morgan breathed heavily. She leaned over him and frowned. "Your left hand is underneath you… wait…"

Peter watched as she leaned over and pulled at his left hand. She pulled and pulled. She got it free and managed to hold the limb up high enough for Peter to see it. _"Oh… yep… that's my useless hand alright,"_ Peter thought. He wasn't entirely sure, but he thought the hand was a funny color. Was it bruised? He couldn't be sure of anything happening to his body right now. _"Oh god…"_ Peter thought. _"Please don't let me soil my own pants."_

"Got it!" Morgan whispered, sounding victorious. "Both hands are at your side… now your legs."

Peter wished he could look towards his legs. He was clueless.

"They're twisted all funny," she whispered to him. "The left one is… stuck up towards the top of this...cage thing. Your right leg is underneath the left one."

_"I'll be fine, Morgan. Just sit still,"_ he thought.

She studied him for a moment. "I wish I could pull you up more. I think your legs need more roo... ooff."

They must have slammed on the breaks. Newton's law moved Peter for Morgan. His body slid and his head slammed into the back of the cage. Morgan was fortunately able to catch herself.

"Damn Cat!" One of the men yelled. "Get out of the road!"

_"Ouch"_ Peter thought. He couldn't feel much, but he was sure that hurt. His heart beat was pounding in his ears and things were even blurrier than they were before. There was some part of Peter that really wanted the cat in the road to be T'Challa. He would sacrifice his left arm to see T'Challa right about now.

"You okay?" Morgan whispered urgently, leaning above him. She looked down. "Your legs are untangled," she said, trying to make him feel better. She studied him some more and nodded, "Yes… this looks better." She looked in his eyes. "Does this feel better?"

He wanted to make her happy so he blinked.

"Good." Satisfied, Morgan settled in next to him. She nestled her head onto his chest and placed an arm over top of him. "I'll protect you. I promised MayMay I would," she told him.

If possible, his heart broke even more. _"I'm supposed to be protecting you!"_ he thought. Peter couldn't be sure, but he thought he was likely crying again.

He thought about May and Pepper. He thought about how upset they would be to find their children gone. He thought about how upset Pepper would be that he failed the most important job. He failed to keep her daughter safe.

And he had no idea what would happen to them next. All he knew at the moment is that he would be helpless to stop it.

* * *

**A/N: Phew! That was tough. I don't know anything about drugs or things like that, but I tried to make it seem realistic. At least in a comic book/superhero kind of way. **

**What do our villains have planned? Will they guilt Peter into doing other things to protect Morgan? What happens when Pepper and May come home? Will someone help Peter and Morgan, or will he find a way to help himself? **

**Leave a review and share your thoughts, my friends. Reviews = inspiration. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Marvel still owns the good characters. The poorly established characters belong to me. :P**

**Also... the first part of the chapter recaps the events of the kidnapping, but the focus is mainly on May and Pepper's reaction to the events. I feel like it's boring to read the same thing all over again, so there's just a summary of events as May and Pepper discover the truth. **

CHAPTER 4: Caged, Dazed, and Confused

It was dark by the time that Pepper and May returned to the cabin. The women were laughing and smiling as they discussed their pleasant evening. They almost hated to have their fun come to an end, but Pepper wanted to make sure she was back to put Morgan to bed as promised. Pepper parked the car and looked over at May as she opened the door. "Think Peter will be willing to come out and get the bags?" she asked. "I'm probably going to have to start the negotiations with Morgan now. I know she'll beg me to let her stay up and play with Peter longer."

May chuckled and stood to exit her side of the car, looking in the direction of the house. "I'm sure he'll…" May stopped and squinted her eyes towards the front door. It was dark, but the moon was nearly full and she was sure she saw the door hanging wide open.

"What?" Pepper asked, following her friend's gaze.

"Is it just me or is your front door open?" May asked. "What do you think those two are up to now?"

Pepper shook her head, feeling uncertain. She tried to push down the uneasy feeling growing in the pit of her stomach. "Not sure… I think I see lights in the kitchen…" She looked towards May. "Maybe they saw us coming and opened the door for us?"

May shrugged. Pepper thought perhaps she was feeling uneasy as well. "Maybe… Peter might have thought to open it for us…" She looked at Pepper. "... Although… I would think he would come out to help if that were the case."

Pepper looked anxiously towards the house. She seemed almost frozen to the spot by her car door.

May gave her an uneasy smile, "They're probably just playing a game with us."

"They better be," Pepper said, taking a tentative step towards the house. She stopped a moment and seemed to think better. She looked at May before stepping back to the car for her phone. May also noticed that she grabbed what looked like an expensive pair of glasses and put them on her face. Pepper noticed May watching her curiously. "Just in case," she told her.

May watched as Pepper tapped the side of the glasses, holding out her phone in front of her with the screen face up towards the sky. "FRIDAY… I need you to scan the house. Tell me what room Morgan and Peter are in right now." A holographic image of the cabin appeared above Pepper's phone screen. A green light seemed to scan through the image, but the image of the cabin remained empty and hollow.

"Scan complete, Mrs. Stark," FRIDAY's voice answered from what May thought were the speakers on the phone. "It does not appear that Peter and Morgan are inside at this time. Would you like me to call Mr. Parker's phone?"

May and Pepper looked at each other anxiously. "Scan the whole property Friday… even the lake. Is there anyone on the premises?"

The hologram above Pepper's phone expanded, displaying the entire property. "I'm sorry, mam. There is no one currently on the property other than you and Mrs. Parker. Would you like me to call Peter's phone now?"

Pepper's breathing picked up and she moved towards the house. May followed closely on her heels. "Yes! Do it now, FRIDAY!" Pepper said, her voice filled with concern.

The women entered the house as FRIDAYS voice said, "The call went straight to voicemail. It appears that Mr. Parker's phone is turned off, and I seem unable to locate its position."

"Peter disabled any tracking on his phone," May told Pepper. "He didn't want anyone to know where he was." May rushed away from Pepper, moving quickly towards Peter's room. She knew what the AI said. She heard that no one was found on the property, but she called for Peter anyway. "Peter? PETER?!" May had to be sure that the AI wasn't wrong. She was pretty sure she heard Pepper calling for Morgan behind her, too.

May entered Peter's room and turned on the light. Sure enough, Peter's phone was still on his nightstand. "Shit," May cursed quietly. She picked up the phone and turned it on, hoping it would somehow give her answers. While it powered on, May moved to join Pepper back downstairs. As she descended the stairs, she called to the other woman, "I found his phone by his bed. I'm turning it on now… maybe we can find…"

May entered the kitchen and looked up at Pepper. She froze when she found the other woman kneeling on the floor, holding one of Peter's web-shooters. "Is that…" May swallowed hard. Peter always had web-shooters on now. He hardly ever took them off. "That's not…" She looked down when Peter's phone buzzed to life.

"It is," Pepper confirmed. "The other one is on the floor over there."

May was looking at Peter's phone screen, scrolling around. She knew Peter well enough to bypass the security and unlock his screen. The code was Tony's birthday. "There's nothing here but missed calls from kids at his school… and the one from you." May dropped his phone to the table and looked for Pepper. She found her on the other side of the table holding something else in her hand. "What is that?" she asked her, walking around to get a better look. Her heart was beating impossibly fast, and she was filled with dread. Something was definitely wrong.

Pepper was kneeling down and holding a water bottle in her hand. "We don't have water bottles like this here. I don't know where this came from." Pepper suddenly stood to her feet, looking around frantically for more clues. She saw one behind May. "Did you knock that over?" she asked May, seeing decorations that had fallen to the floor.

May turned to look. "No… it looks like someone stepped on them or something." May moved her gaze and noticed something on the side of the refrigerator. She stepped to get a closer look. Her eyes widened. "This is Peter's webbing. It hasn't fully dissolved." She looked at Pepper, her eyes wide and worried. "Why would he shoot this in the house and take off his web-shooters? What's going on, Pepper?"

Pepper shook her head, moving to grab a STARKpad over on the counter. "I don't know. Where the hell are our kids?!" Pepper fired up the STARKpad, scolding herself quietly as she did so. "What was I thinking? I should have remembered to put FRIDAY on sentry mode. She's been dormant for so long… I should've used her more! She could have notified me the moment something happened…" The screen came to life and Pepper was tapping away. "Tony never would've let this happen. He was always so cautious!"

"You couldn't have known." May shook her head. "Peter…" May mused quietly. "What the hell happened? Where did you go?" She watched as Pepper continued to manipulate the STARKpad. "Maybe they ran? Maybe they needed to leave in a hurry. Peter would never let anything happen to Morgan."

"THEN WHERE THE HELL IS MY BABY GIRL?!" Pepper snapped suddenly.

May's mouth dropped open. It was like she wanted to give an answer, but she just didn't have one to give.

Pepper shook her head, focusing back on what she was doing. When she spoke again, she was talking to the AI. "FRIDAY… please tell me you have something for me. Did you see anything?"

Holograms popped up above the STARKpad as the AI answered, "I am always watching out for you, Mrs. Stark. How can I help?"

"When did you last see Morgan and Peter?" Pepper prompted.

An image appeared that took both Pepper and May's breath away. In front of them was a visual of men closing up the back of a van and pulling away from the house.

"Oh god…" May said, raising a hand to her mouth. She wanted to scream, but she needed to stay calm for Pepper.

The other woman was shaking her head back and forth, trying to somehow convince herself that this image wasn't somehow confirming her worst fears. Pepper choked back a sob, "I need to know what happened before this FRIDAY? Who are these men? What's going on?"

The images shifted. One showed the van arriving on the property and FRIDAY said, "This van arrived with two men before dark." Another image appeared of Morgan and Peter smiling out on the water. "It appears they arrived while Mr. Parker and Miss Morgan were out back."

Pepper scowled and looked up at May. "I thought Peter had special senses… how the hell did he miss this?!"

May looked offended at the implication that Peter failed in some way. She was about to defend Peter and snap at Pepper but thought better of it. The other woman was clearly afraid, and it was understandable that she was upset. It was Peter's job to look after the young Stark, and it was strange that someone could get the upper hand. Her kid was Spider-Man after all. May took a deep breath and answered Pepper as calmly as possible. "He does… his senses only seem to warn him if he's in immediate danger. I don't know… I think he's still figuring that skill out."

"And this wasn't immediate danger?" Pepper challenged.

"We still don't know what happened here, Pepper." May countered.

"FRIDAY does," Pepper said, turning her attention back. "Show me everything that you have after that van got here, FRIDAY."

"Right away," the AI answered. The women stood closely together, watching as images and videos popped up above the STARKpad.

Pepper clicked on the files. She first played a video that showed the men entering the house. With Peter and Morgan home, she hadn't even thought to lock the front door. The men just walked right into her house. She moved to another file for a camera inside, and this showed the men looking out back through the windows. She knew they were likely looking for the kids. She clicked on something to see if any audio was caught.

_"Looks like Spider-Boy and the brat are out playing row, row, row your boat," one man smirked, looking out the window._

_The other moved to stand next to him. "Perfect. Looks like they're here alone, too." He smiled and looked at the first man. "It's almost too easy. They're being served to us on a silver platter. Do we go out to get them?"_

_The first man shook his head. "We'll wait for them to come inside. We have the element of surprise. They don't even know we're here."_

_"And if someone else comes along?"_

_"We'll deal with it."_

The women watched as the men made themselves comfortable and laid in wait.

Pepper switched to footage of Peter and Morgan outside. She scrolled forward, wanting to see the moment they left to come inside the house. They watched as Peter docked the boat. They watched as the two sat together and enjoyed the sunset. Pepper didn't have audio outside, but it looked like they were chatting away with no idea of what danger awaited inside. At some point, Morgan stood up and handed her life jacket to Peter. Peter took his own off and walked towards the shed as Morgan skipped towards the house.

"Oh baby, no!" Pepper said, her voice barely above a whisper. She looked at May and raised her voice a little, "He left her alone. Why would he even think about letting her out of his sight?" Pepper's voice was full of frustration. It was like she was reprimanding May for Peter's decision to let Morgan go in the house alone.

May didn't have any words. She just stood there, unable to move or look away from the scene playing out in front of them.

Pepper looked back and both women saw the moment when Peter knew something was wrong. He took off towards the house, even using his webbing to get inside as fast as he could. When Peter was out of frame, Pepper switched back inside to see the indoor footage with the same time stamp.

"Oh no… please no…" she cried out when the footage showed Morgan squirming in the arms of one of the men. She thought she would throw up when she noted the gun dangerously close to her baby's head. The audio wasn't on yet. She didn't need it on to know her daughter was screaming and crying for help.

They watched as Peter burst through the door, assessing the situation and getting ready to stop the man holding his small friend.

"Where's the other…" May jumped. She was about to question the location of the second intruder when she watched him attempt to pistol whip Peter on the back of his head. Peter ducked just in time.

Both women let out an excited sound when Peter took the second intruder down. Pepper now knew how her decorations fell. The man knocked them over when he fell on top of them. Their excitement was short lived. As Peter readied himself to focus back on the man with Morgan, he froze. The first intruder had Morgan in a tight grip with the gun far too close to her precious head.

With a shaking hand, Pepper activated the audio.

They heard Morgan's cries and Peter's panting breaths. It wasn't long before the water bottle they found was placed on the table in front of Peter with the command to drink it.

Chills went up May's spine as she took note of where they were standing. "God… Pepper… it happened right here."

The other woman swallowed, daring to take a quick look at where they were standing. Her eyes then focused on the table in front of them. The holograms hovered over the spot where the offending water bottle was placed.

"Don't you dare drink that, kid," Pepper breathed out quietly. She knew he couldn't hear her, and she knew what was likely to happen.

They heard Peter's smart comment about not being thirsty, and they saw how Morgan's situation became more dire. They also saw the moment Peter made up his mind to follow directions.

"Oh Peter…" May choked out, dismayed as Peter picked up the bottle slowly and complied with the intruders. "No!"

They saw Peter empty the contents into his system.

"He didn't even know what was in that…" Pepper said, her voice now giving away her concern and guilt for being upset with Peter. He had just likely poisoned himself in a desperate attempt to help her daughter.

They watched as Peter fought the urge to throw it back up. "Oh baby…" May said, bringing her hand to mouth to stifle the sobs that wanted to escape. She was usually there to soothe him when he was sick. In her mind, she thought back to when he was a little boy. She just wanted to hold him. It didn't matter that he was a Superhero. He still needed a mother.

Both women were only slightly relieved when the contents were revealed to Peter as something that wasn't fatal. Peter wasn't likely to die, but he was sure going to be in a whole lot of trouble.

Both women were letting the tears flow freely as they listened to Morgan's concern and the intruders' mocking comments. They heard how Peter began struggling with his words, and they watched as he sank to his knees.

May saw the look of determination on his face as he gave one final attempt to take out the man holding Morgan, and she now knew why web fluid continued to dissolve on the side of the refrigerator.

Pepper brought a hand to her chest and shook her head, "Those drugs had to be strong. He looks like he's swaying terribly."

They both let out small cries of alarm as the second intruder was able to take hold of Peter's arms and lower him to the ground with ease. They saw the man remove Peter's web-shooters, and May didn't miss the confusion on Peter's face. "He doesn't understand what's happening," she spoke quietly.

"Oh god…" Pepper cried as Morgan was carried outside. It was heart-breaking enough to see her baby try to beat the man carrying her with her tiny fists. But a moment later, she felt her heart physically shatter when she heard Morgan cry out for her father. Pepper grabbed onto the chair in front of her, needing the support just to stay on her feet. May noticed and grabbed Pepper at her waist. They really need to support each other at that moment. Even May felt like her legs could give out at any moment… especially when they started to drag an unmoving Peter out of the house.

Pepper skipped forward a little until she found the moment they started with… the moment the doors were closed, sealing the kids in the back while the van pulled away. Pepper looked at the timestamp on the video. "If we had only been home an hour earlier," she commented.

May sniffled next to her, "We don't know that it would've made any difference. It might have just made things worse."

Pepper wiped a hand over her eyes, "FRIDAY send all of this footage to the team. I want everyone that is available! And make the first call to Rhodes!"

* * *

Somewhere along the way, Peter must have fallen asleep… or passed out. He wasn't sure which one. He blinked open his eyes, looking at his surroundings. Morgan was breathing heavily with her head still on his chest, likely sleeping. She had to be exhausted… this kind of thing would be taxing on her young body.

Peter could've kicked himself for not staying alert. He had no idea how much time had gone by with the drugs in his system. Peter tested his luck by first testing his hands, and he was pleased to be able to move his fingers and slightly pull his hands into fists. Peter groaned as he tried to lift his arms and legs, making Morgan stir in the process.

He hadn't meant to wake her, but the little girl slowly pulled herself off of Peter's chest and rubbed her eyes.

He decided it was as good a time as any to test his voice. "M… M'g-n," he tried saying to her.

The little girl was instantly awake and staring at him, "Petey!" She squealed in excitement.

Peter groaned and gave her a look that he hoped told her to be quieter.

Morgan seemed to notice her mistake and peered to the front of the van before looking back at Peter. "I don't see them," she told him.

Peter attempted to lift his head enough to take a look for himself. He was able to just barely see for himself that the front seats were empty before letting his head drop back down. He was starting to pant and sweat from his small efforts to move. He looked back towards Morgan, noting that she was studying him closely.

The little Stark looked at him with concern but tried to be positive. "You're moving a little. That's good."

Peter frowned a little but gave an affirmative, "MmmHmm." He took a deep breath and decided to push himself further. With the men gone, it might be his best chance to see how much strength he had. He lifted his head and looked at the door out of their cage. If only he could break the lock. Maybe he could then break the back window and get Morgan out of there. He at least needed to try. With more effort than Peter would like to admit, he pulled up his feet and kicked at the door. Peter sighed in defeat. With all that effort, the result was barely even a toe tap.

He set his head back down and tried to catch his breath a little before looking back at Morgan. She was giving him an incredulous look, clearly not believing that he thought that effort would improve their situation.

"Wha'?" Peter attempted to ask, noting that the disbelieving look on her face was nothing short of adorable.

Morgan raised an eyebrow at him, and her facial expression reminded him so much of Tony Stark that it hurt. "Maybe I should try…" She offered. "I think I could kick it harder."

Peter frowned and was about to defend himself when he heard movement outside the van. He once again gave Morgan a look, trying to communicate for her to stay quiet.

To Morgan's credit, she was very smart. She quickly squirmed back into Peter's side with her head on his chest and closed her eyes. She was pretending to be asleep, and Peter followed her lead.

He closed his eyes and listened as their captors once again took their seats up front.

"How much longer?" one grumbled. He thought it sounded like Justin.

"Not too long now. It would be sooner if you hadn't needed to take a piss!" The other scolded. Peter definitely thought that voice sounded like the father… the one who had held his gun to Morgan back at the house.

"Hey!" Justin complained. "Nature was calling you, too! Don't blame it all on me, Dad!"

"Yeah… yeah…" The van started up and the engine roared to life. "How are they doing back there?"

There was a moment before Justin answered, "They're still out." The man gave an arrogant chuckle, "Told you that cocktail would take care of the Parker kid. We keep him cooperative and the Stark's brat will stay cooperative."

The van pulled out onto the road, but Peter continued to listen. "This is better than we could've hoped," the father agreed. "I thought we'd have enough leverage with the girl, but when I realized we would have a chance to grab Parker…" he laughed. "It was too perfect. Everyone knows Stark had a soft spot for the spider."

Justin made a noise in agreement. "They'll have to give us what we want. No way they're going to let both of Stark's kids die over it."

Peter felt Morgan flinch at the comment. He cringed. This had to be terrifying for her… and perhaps a little confusing. Hell… Peter was confused. He wasn't one of Tony's kids. Not really… they had been close, but he wasn't sure they were really close enough that it had become public knowledge. The kids at school could hardly believe that he knew Tony at all. "Who are these guys?" He thought. "And how did they know I would be at the cabin? No one knew that." He could only think that these guys had been somehow watching Pepper and Morgan. They must have overheard a conversation or something.

"We'll see…" his father commented. "This is our best chance, son. We will do anything that is necessary… do you understand? No turning back."

"Definitely…" Justin confirmed. "I'm ready. I've got plenty more cocktails for Parker."

The father laughed, "I'm proud of you, boy. You whipped those together pretty quickly."

"Yeah, well… I had the chance to study Captain America's files when I was with SHIELD. My team was responsible for creating various concoctions for him. Some were in case he was injured, but we also talked about what it would take to bring him down if he ever went rogue. I figured anything that would work on the captain was bound to bring down Spider-Man."

_"Justin was with SHIELD? What the hell?"_ Peter thought. He thought perhaps this might also be the reason they had the ability to get information about how close Tony and Peter really were.

"Brilliant!" his father praised him. "Too bad SHIELD fell apart after that Hydra business."

"And and then the Black Widow leaked all that information and exposed my work," Justin complained. "So what? A couple guys died when we were experimenting with the drugs we made for Captain America. Not all experiments are successful. And then no one wanted to hire me because my work was 'unethical.' Give me a break!"

"We'll show them, Justin. We'll make them regret messing with our family. It's time we showed the Avengers that there are people who will fight back. It's time for retribution!" His father said. "Revenge for what they did to you and revenge for what they did to your mother and sister!"

Peter didn't hear if they said anything else. He heard enough. He couldn't believe this was happening. These guys were angry with the team. Vengeance could be a very dangerous thing, and he hated that Morgan was pulled in the middle of it.

He peered down at Morgan, noticing for the first time that her eyes were open and trying to read his expression. He attempted to give her a sad smile, something to let her know that they were going to be alright. He wasn't sure how successful he was in silently conveying his message to her. He did notice, however, that somehow she still looked at him with complete trust. Despite everything… despite his weakness… despite his failure to keep her safe… she looked at him with nothing but trust and love. It was the way a little sister looks up to a big brother. The thought filled Peter's heart with warmth. He loved Morgan… definitely the way he thought a big brother loved a little sister. A new determination stirred inside of him, and he knew that he would stop at nothing to take care of his little sister. Whatever it takes.

* * *

It didn't take Rhodey long to get back to the cabin. He used his War Machine armor to get there as fast as he could. He found Pepper and May barely holding it together. He had watched everything that FRIDAY sent, and he still had chills running down his spine. He couldn't imagine how the parents of the kids were feeling. Sure, May was Peter's aunt, but she was his mother in every way that counted. And Peter may have been Spider-Man, but he was still just a kid at the end of the day. No teenager deserved to be drugged and dragged like a bag of worthless garbage. Everything about this situation was wrong.

He thought back to his earlier conversation with Peter. The young man carried so much guilt. He put his heart into everything, and his heart seemed to get broken every time. This event was going to leave an awfully big scar on the kid's tender heart. He would never forgive himself for not keeping Tony's daughter out of harm's way.

Not only that, but Rhodes felt like Peter couldn't catch a break. The time at the cabin was supposed to help him… to keep him safe from the harsh criticism of the city. It turned out that the poor kid just hopped out of the frying pan and into the fire.

He had Pepper carefully gather the physical evidence from the attack, especially the empty water bottle. Bruce would need to examine that if they had any hope of knowing just how the kidnappers were able to subdue Spider-Man so easily.

Pepper was in her Rescue armor, using compartments in her suit to carefully keep the evidence safe. Rhodey was in his armor, and they were both getting ready to move to the new headquarters to meet with everyone that was available.

"Ahem," May cleared her throat. When Rhodes and Pepper looked at her, she said, "So… um… you guys can give me the address and I guess I'll meet you there?" She was clearly confused about how she was supposed to keep up with them.

Pepper gave her a sly look. "Uh… no…"

"What do you mean?" She challenged, giving Pepper a warning look. "I'm sure as hell not going to sit around here by myself and wait for news!"

"Of course not," Pepper assured her. "You just don't need to drive." Pepper pressed a button on her armor. Before long, another suit of armor came along and opened. "You can use that one."

May laughed at her. "Umm… no. Nope… not gonna happen." May gestured over her shoulder towards the car. "I'll meet you there. It's fine." She made a move to head to the car.

"It's the fastest way to get to people who can help Peter and Morgan," Rhodes called after her. May stopped walking.

"It's on autopilot. You won't have to do anything. That suit is designed to conform to the size of the occupant and take him or safely to another location. It will be just like riding in a plane," Pepper added.

May looked at the suit skeptically. "THAT is not like riding in an airplane. That will be like a jet! Does it have a built-in barf bag because no way I'm going to hold onto my dinner in that thing!"

"May…" Pepper looked at her, "Please… just trust me on this. We need to move quickly. It's either this or you could miss the chance to help us get the kids back."

_"Well… that's not an option,"_ May thought to herself. "God help me," May said, stepping over to the suit. She turned to stand in front of it. She looked at the others. "How do I…" She let out a squeal of surprise as the suit moved to scoop her in and closed her inside.

Pepper and Rhodey dropped their own helmets, completing their armor. They were able to hear May through the comms.

"Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God…" May cursed rapidly.

"Just hang on, May," Pepper told her through the comm.

"What?" May asked, surprised to hear her friend's voice inside of the suit. "Hang on to what?" She screamed as the suit entered into the air, following War Machine and Rescue to the new Avengers HQ.

* * *

Peter's mind was racing as the van continued to take him and Morgan to an unknown destination. He wished he knew the time. He had no idea how long they were on the road. Time seemed to drag on forever, but, in reality, it might not have been as long as Peter imagined.

He kept himself busy by trying to discreetly move his limbs and flex his muscles. He needed to try to get as much strength back as possible. He wanted to attack these guys as soon as they tried to pull them from the van.

Morgan had drifted off again, and Peter was thankful that she wouldn't have to hear anything else from the men up front. She didn't need to hear them talk about possibly killing them both. She was too young to worry about that level of danger.

"There it is up there," the driver told his son. "We'll back the van inside and then get ready to move them."

Peter felt his heart beat a little faster in anticipation. This was going to be his chance to get Morgan to safety. They didn't yet know that he was awake and gaining back strength. He just hoped it would be enough strength to give Morgan the chance to run.

Minutes later, Peter felt the van move into reverse and the light around him changed. He thought they must be putting the van inside. He hoped they would leave a door open for Morgan to get out. He listened for them to exit the van, and then he opened his eyes to look at Morgan. Clearly the shift of the car woke her from her sleep because she was already awake and looking to Peter for assurance.

"M'gan…" Peter said quietly. "Wh'n they op'n th' do'r…" he forced the words out. "... 'm gon' hol' th'm off… 'n you r-run."

"What?" Morgan whispered, surprised at the instructions. She shook her head. "No! I can't!"

"Yes… you r-run," he told her. "Fol-low th-the roa'... g-get h-help… 9-1-1."

She shook her head harder, looking determined. "No!" Why did she have to look so much like her father in these moments. "I'm not leaving you."

Peter gave her a pleading look. "P-plea's… M'gan… y-you need t-to RUN!" Peter was able to emphasize the last word with more strength. His tongue and lips seemed more willing to cooperate with him at the moment.

For some reason, Morgan looked almost hurt at the suggestion. "I pr-promised to keep you safe." She blinked back tears. "We're supposed to keep each other safe, Peter. I… I can't leave you."

Peter slammed his head back on the floor in frustration. "M'gan! Runn'g gets m-me he-help. Y-you c'n get help. Plea-se."

They didn't have anymore time to argue over the plan because they heard the men moving to open the back doors. Peter's heart was racing, and he prayed that Morgan would listen to him. The doors opened and the two men stood and stared at their captives.

"Look who's awake!" the father commented.

"Rise and shine, kids!" Justin added.

Peter kept his head down, using only his eyes to look down at them. He thought something looked funny about Justin's arms, but he didn't have too much time to figure out what it was. The lock was taken off the cage, and they moved to open the door. Justin reached for Peter first, grabbing his leg and giving him a forceful tug. Once Peter was far enough, he used the leg Justin wasn't holding to kick the man in the chest. He was pleased to see that he mustered enough force to send Justin down on his backside.

The father looked surprised, and Peter used every ounce of strength he had to pull himself out of the van and take a swing and punch him to the ground. As he did, he yelled to Morgan, "RUN!"

Morgan hesitated, but finally jumped from the van and ran towards the nearest door.

Peter didn't have a chance to feel proud of her decision to follow his instructions. Justin was back up on his feet and used his arms to come up behind Peter and put him in a headlock. Peter reached up to the arms holding him, surprised to find the arms were unnaturally strong. He peered down to see that Justin's arms were covered with some sort of armor.

" - the hell?" Peter panted out, realizing now why the man's arms looked strange earlier. Peter glanced in the direction he saw Morgan run. The little girl was pulling and pushing at a door, but it wouldn't budge. It was clearly locked. Morgan turned and seemed to look for her next option.

"I wouldn't try it, sweetheart," The father called to her, getting to his feet after being punched by Peter.

"K-keep going!" Peter called. "K-keep look'n," he choked out.

Morgan was searching frantically, desperately trying to find a way out.

"You run away from us, kid," the man called. "My son is going to break Spider-Man's neck."

Morgan froze. Her eyes were wide as she took in the armor on the arms that were holding Peter.

Peter, too, had his attention back on the arms.

"Should've taken these along earlier," Justin explained. "Didn't think I'd need them. Like them?"

Peter squirmed in his grasp.

"I got them from an old friend of yours. You remember Adrian Toomes, don't you?" Justin teased.

Peter stopped moving, stunned by this newest revelation.

"Got them just before you put the old man away. Pretty handy, huh?" Justin commented.

Peter breathed heavily in his grasp. "I hate you," he said simply.

"See that?" the other man called to Morgan, who still stood with her back against the door she had tried to open. "Peter here is no match for our weapons… especially in his weakened state..."

The father gave Justin a look that apparently gave the instructions to cut off Peter's air. He was struggling to breathe, and he tried pulling the arms away without success.

Morgan's eyes were impossibly big as she took in the scene in front of her. Tears rolled down her face as she began to panic. "No! Stop!" She cried, running to Peter. She placed her arms around Peter's legs, holding on for dear life. "Stop! I'm here!"

The father stepped forward and pulled her away from Peter. As he did, Justin eased up and let Peter breathe.

Peter coughed and sputtered as black spots danced in front of his eyes. He looked for Morgan. He needed to focus on Morgan. He found her in the grasp of the other man, shaking like a leaf.

"Time to go," Justin said, yanking Peter further inside the building. Peter noticed Morgan being led in the same direction, and he hoped that they would stay together. He wouldn't be able to handle not knowing where she was or what was happening to her. After walking for a bit and turning a few corners, Peter spotted a large cage ahead, with the door open and ready for prisoners. It was much larger than the one they arrived in, with bars that were both horizontal and vertical. There would be little chance for escape… unless Peter could get all of his strength back.

"In ya go!" Justin yelled as he tossed Peter inside easily with the assistance of the weapons on his arms. Peter tried to catch himself, but he landed with enough force to have the air knocked out of him. Peter desperately tried to catch his breath and clear the spots that danced in front of his eyes. Morgan gave a little scream as she was pushed inside after him.

"You sit there," the man told her, pointing to a make-shift bed in the corner. It wasn't much more than a mattress with a blanket, but Morgan followed the instructions that she was given.

Peter forced himself to a sitting position, trying to look strong for Morgan. "Who 're you?" Peter managed to ask, tired of only having one name.

"You can call me Will," the father answered, surprising Peter with how willing he was to reveal his name. "And you're already getting to know my son, Justin, quite well."

"Oh yeah…" Peter said, resorting again to his snarky comments. "Great kid… needs to work on his people skills though. Bit rough around the edges if you ask me."

The men just laughed at him. Justin took a few steps in his direction. "You don't fool me, little spider. I can see right through that false bravado." He knelt down in front of him. "I know you're scared."

Peter swallowed his fear. Sure, he was scared, but he would be damned to let Morgan see it. Besides, he wasn't so much afraid for himself as he was terrified for her. Apparently, Justin knew that.

The man nodded towards the little girl. "You're scared for your little friend over there. Don't want to see her get hurt. The funny thing is… she'll cooperate because she's scared of seeing her hero get hurt, too." Justin shook his head. "Pathetic, really." Justin stood back up, looming over Peter. He reached into his jacket and pulled out another small water bottle, dropping it in front of Peter. "You know what to do," he said.

Peter's heart sank. "Please… don't," he begged, hating the words as soon as they left his mouth. "I'll do whatever you want. Just… please… it scares her when I can't move."

Morgan was sniffling over on the mattress. She pulled her legs tightly to her chest and hugged them as she began rocking back and forth in an attempt to soothe herself.

"Awww…" Justin teased him as his father laughed. "You two are just so sweet."

"Makes our job easier, really," Will added, still laughing at Peter.

"Y-you said it yourself," Peter tried. "I'm s-scared to let her get hurt… tha-that's true." His words were stuttered as he again struggled to control his breathing through the sense of panic flowing through him. His senses were going off again, trying to tell him to avoid that water bottle at all cost. "I'll b-behave as long you promise to l-leave her alone."

Justin shook his head. "That's not how it works, Parker. I don't trust you. I'd hate to end up like Mysterio."

Peter hung his head, feeling frustrated and defeated. "You don't understand… I-I'm not… it's n-not what y-you think."

"I don't really care." Justin rolled his eyes. "Look, scaredy spider… this bottle's not as strong as the first. We got you here, and we want you to stay here. This is just going to keep that super-human strength of yours under control… that's it."

Will made a move towards Morgan, making the girl curl up into herself even more and whimper in fear. "Drink it… or little Morgan will have a broken arm."

"Alright!" Peter cried out, hating the sound of Morgan's crying. Peter put his hands up in a placating gesture, "I'll drink it… just back off and leave her alone." When Peter saw that Will was no longer moving towards Morgan, he reluctantly picked up the drugged water. He didn't really trust Justin. He had no reason at all to believe that this wasn't going to be as potent as the first one. All he knew was that he would not gamble with Morgan's well-being. With a sigh of defeat, Peter pulled off the cap and quickly swallowed the contents. Again, his senses berated him for being so stupid, screaming at him to throw it up and get it out.

"Such a good little spider," Justin cooed, bending down to pick up the empty bottle. He roughly put a hand through Peter's hair as if petting an animal who followed a master's instructions. Peter pulled his head away and sent a hateful glare in the man's direction.

"You two get cozy," Will said, walking out with Justin right behind him. "You'll be here for awhile." As soon as both men were outside, the door to their prison was closed and locked. The two men laughed at their prisoners some more before turning and leaving them alone in their sorrows.

Peter wasn't sure how quickly he might lose mobility, so he began crawling over towards Morgan. With the men gone, Morgan uncurled herself and went quickly to Peter's side to help him.

Once Peter was on the mattress, he let out a sigh of relief. Instead of laying down, he sat with his back against the bars. He was tired of being in a cage and looking at the ceiling. If he lost the ability to move again, he wanted to be sitting upright.

Morgan snuggled into his side, looking up into his face. "I'm s-so sorry," she told him.

Peter looked at her in confusion, "For wha', Morgs?"

"I f-failed," she tried holding back more tears that threatened to fall. "I tr-tried to run, but…"

"Stop…" Peter cut in. "...'s not your faul'..." He sighed. "..'m th' one who fail'd you… a-again." Peter felt his arms getting heavy, but he was pleased that he could still get most of his words out. Maybe Justin was telling the truth… maybe this dose wasn't as bad as the first.

Morgan looked at him with concern. "I… I don't like when you drink that water. Pl-please don't let them give you any more. I c-can let th-them break m-my arm," she told him.

Peter closed his eyes and shook his head. "No… M-g'n… not gon' hap-pen."

She nestled in closer to his side. "I love you, Petey," she told him.

Peter swallowed past the lump forming in his throat. He didn't think he deserved her love. With tears in his eyes, Peter answered, "L-love ya M'rgs."

And then they fell silent, snuggled together in their prison, awaiting whatever their captors had in store for them next.

* * *

**A/N: I just love Morgan and Peter together, don't you? Stay tuned as the Avengers try to assemble in an attempt to find them. What will they do when Peter and Morgan's kidnappers make crazy demands? Let's just hope they're rescued before Peter is forced to take something that could change his life forever. **

**Stay tuned! And don't forget to leave me a lovely review. Love you 3000! **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Ready... set... Assemble! But wait... who is there to Assemble? Do they even know where they're going! I guess they need a few answers first. I hope Peter and Morgan can wait that long. **

**All recognizable characters belong to Marvel... that sadly hasn't changed. I love them 3000.**

CHAPTER 5: Assemble?

Pepper, Rhodey, and May safely landed at the new headquarters for the remaining Avengers. As soon as the suit opened, May dropped to her knees and held onto the sturdy floor beneath her feet. "Never again," she panted out, raising her head to look at the other two as they exited their own armor.

Pepper walked over and extended a hand to help May to her feet, carefully holding onto the evidence she brought with the other hand. "Come on," she said. "The others are waiting inside."

May's head was spinning. Everything was happening so fast. "Where are we?" she asked as they made their way through the halls. "I mean… I know it's like your new headquarters, but where are we?"

"Syracuse," Rhodes answered, shrugging his shoulders. "The building was available and it wasn't too far from the old compound." He looked at Pepper, "... and we liked the idea of staying close to Tony's family."

"And people don't know you're all here?" May asked, surprised.

"Not yet," Rhodes answered. "We bought the building using the name of a fake company that Fury set up."

"Oh…" was all May said. She didn't actually care about the building, but knowing more about her surroundings made her feel more grounded somehow.

Sam Wilson entered the hallway to meet them. "Hey… you guys good?" he asked.

"Hardly," Pepper answered. They didn't stop walking, but instead Sam walked with them. "Tell me you know more about where those assholes took my baby," Pepper added, looking at him in desperation. She wanted answers and she wanted them now.

Sam shook his head sadly, "The best we could get was a direction. Seems like the van went northeast."

They entered a room, and May saw Bucky Barnes and a very green Bruce Banner working away. Bucky was studying the footage from the cabin… the scenes of the kidnapping playing out in front of him. Bruce was preparing something else.

Professor Hulk look towards Pepper, "Do you have that bottle?" he asked. "I'd like to know what we're dealing with."

"Me too," Pepper said, handing a bag to him.

May saw the big green man take the bottle from the bag and hand the other evidence to Sam. "I'd like to know, too," she said. "I want to know what the hell they made my kid drink."

Bruce nodded, getting right to work. He looked at Sam, noticing the web-shooters that were pulled from the bag. "Between any figure prints and face recognition, we should be able to determine their identities," he said, referring to the kidnappers.

Rhodes added, "It shouldn't be hard. It didn't seem like they were too worried about hiding their faces or covering their tracks."

Bucky scowled, freezing images of their faces in front of him. "That's never a good sign," he said bluntly, earning a few reprimanding glares from the others. Tact wasn't really a strength Bucky possessed.

May found a chair and plopped herself down in it, studying the Avengers in the room as they worked. She took a deep breath, "But why? Why take them? I don't understand any of this."

Sam attempted an answer, "At first, we thought it was some plot to go after Peter… what with the incident in London and all, but…" he shook his head. "... after watching the videos, they seemed intent on going after both Morgan and Peter."

"It was like Peter was an added bonus," Bucky commented. "I hate to say this, but I think this was about the girl. Peter was just someone else to take along."

Pepper let out a shaky breath, "Morgan? It couldn't have just been about my little girl… they knew Peter would be there. They had to know… otherwise, why bring the drugs?"

Rhodes nodded in agreement, "This was carefully planned out. They were there for both of them."

May threw up her hands in frustration, "We still don't know why!"

"I still don't think this has anything to do with London… or Peter being Spider-Man," Bucky elaborated. "You heard what they said in the video… they told Peter that not 'everything' was about him."

"So…" Sam thought out loud. "We think we know what this is NOT about? Any thoughts as to what it IS about?"

The room was quiet as the heroes were lost to their thoughts.

"Tony," a new voice added. They all looked over to see who the new arrival was. The old man stepped into the room with stiff movements. He walked over to stand next to Bucky, looking at the facial images still frozen in front of the man. "The answer lies with Tony."

"Hey Cap," Sam greeted. "How did you…"

"I sent him the files," Bucky said. "I knew he'd want to help."

May stared at Steve Rogers in fascination. Pepper hadn't been kidding. The man had certainly aged… a lot. "What do you mean the answer lies with Tony?" May asked.

"Don't they know…" Pepper started, struggling to voice her thoughts, "... don't they know he's gone? I'm not sure Tony's the answer Steve."

The older man, sat himself down in another seat near May gingerly, groaning a little as he tried to get comfortable. "It's the only thing that Morgan and Peter really have in common," he elaborated. "Both of them are kids that Tony loved."

Before anyone could say anything, there was a beep next to Bucky. "We have names," Barnes commented. "Katsma… Wilbur and Justin. Seems like they're father and son."

Steve drew his eyebrows together in thought, "Justin Katsma… I know that name. He worked for SHIELD before the incident with Hydra. He was responsible for helping to create medications in case I ever needed medical attention."

"That explains how he was able to formulate drugs to take out Spider-Man," Bruce commented.

"So you knew him?" Pepper accused. "Maybe this is really about you then?" She was clearly offended by the idea that this was all about her dead husband.

Steve shrugged a little, looking uncomfortable. "I didn't know him personally. I just know that it was discovered that things didn't go well when they tried testing his drugs."

"What's that supposed to mean?" May asked, sounding worried.

Steve gave her a sorrowful look, "Natasha uncovered that some people died during his experiments. His work was called into question, but he seemed to disappear… never was held accountable."

May sighed and rubbed her hands through her hair. "This STILL doesn't make sense!"

"I think Cap was right," Rhodes said, clearly thinking about how all the pieces fit together. "It's about Tony… but not just him individually." He studied the others in the room a moment before he added, "It's about his family."

"Excuse me?" Pepper asked, sounding upset. "What the hell do you mean by that?"

"You weren't his only family, Pepper," Bruce told her. The big green man looked at her with sadness in his eyes. "We were his family, too."

Pepper softened her expression as she looked at him. She knew he was right. The Avengers were all part of Tony's family.

May thought she was finally getting it. "So… it's all of you? They want to get your attention?"

Steve nodded, "They want something from us… something from the Avengers. There's no other explanation that makes sense."

"And they had the resources to do it," Rhodes said, using his head to nod towards the water bottle being studied by Bruce.

Pepper started pacing back and forth, "But what the hell do they want from us? And what is happening to my baby and Peter while we try to figure it out? We need to get them home! NOW!"

Rhodes walked over and put what he hoped was a reassuring arm around her, trying to give her support. "We'll find them. We'll keep working on it."

"Something tells me that if they want something…" Bucky stated, looking at the others in the room. "... they'll let us know."

Sam nodded, "A trade."

"They know we'll do anything... " Steve said from his seated position. "They know we'll do whatever it takes to get those kids home. They know we owe it Tony to make sure the kids he loved are safe."

"Oh God…" May said, feeling hopeless. It wasn't that she didn't trust the team. She just hated the idea of Peter being used as a bargaining chip alongside of little Morgan.

"So we just wait?" Pepper asked.

"We'll keep looking," Rhodes answered. "But yeah… our best bet is to hope that they contact us or give some clue as to what they want."

Pepper went to sit next to May, "Something tells me this will be the longest wait of my life."

The others nodded in agreement before once again busying themselves in the search for clues. May, Pepper, and Steve sat close to one another. Steve wouldn't be able to offer much help physically, but he was determined to support Tony's family as best as he could with the knowledge he had.

He only hoped they would find Tony's kids in time.

* * *

MJ was livid. She didn't understand Peter. Why would he let them worry like this? Didn't he know how much they put up with to support him? How could he betray them like this?

"It's late," Ned commented, watching as Michelle angrily scratched her pencil along the pages of her sketchbook. "I don't think he's calling us tonight, either."

"I swear I'm never going on another date with him again! He can forget about that!" MJ told him.

"He said he would call 'as soon as he could" ...Maybe he's just tied up or something," Ned said, having no idea just how close he was to being right.

"I don't care how busy he is!" MJ told him, standing up to pack her things into her bag. It was late, and her parents were likely to give her a hard time for being up so late on a school night. "He owes it to us to call us and let us know that he's okay."

Ned didn't hide the fact that he was hurt by the whole thing, too. While MJ was angry, Ned was just sad. He missed his best friend. "I know… but I do think he'll reach out when he has the chance."

MJ moved towards the door. "I don't even know if I care any more," she spat out. She was definitely an unstoppable force of fury. Ned was sure glad that he wasn't on the receiving end of her anger.

"You don't mean that," Ned told her. "I know that you're just as worried as I am!"

She opened the door and looked at him. "That's the problem! I'm angry that he's making us worry so much!"

Ned sighed, "No one said it would be easy to be best friends with an Avenger."

"Yeah… whatever," MJ said, trying to pretend like she wasn't so bothered. "I'll see you tomorrow. If we don't hear anything from him tomorrow, though… I swear I'll never speak to him again." And with those final words to Ned she slammed the door and left.

Ned just stared at the door after she left. He couldn't help but to agree with her a little. If Peter couldn't find the time to talk to them, then maybe he didn't deserve their friendship.

However, they would soon learn that they had every reason to be worried about Peter after all.

* * *

Peter must have drifted off. He woke up to Morgan as she was gently tapping his cheek. Peter looked around, struggling a little as he remembered just how bad things were. They were still trapped… in a cage… with his limbs feeling far too heavy. Peter shifted and was happy to discover that his movements weren't as limited as before. Moving was difficult, but at least it wasn't impossible.

Morgan tapped him again, "Petey… are you awake?"

"Hm?" Peter looked at her. "Wha's wr'ng?"

The little girl blushed as she looked up at him. "I have to pee…" she looked around. "...but I don't see a potty."

Peter frowned. Just what did they expect their prisoners to do? Wet the bed? God, he hoped that wasn't the case! Wetting the bed was something he did as a little kid, but he would be damned if he was going to let that happen to him now. He didn't really want that to happen to Morgan either.

Peter glanced around and saw a bucket on the other side of their cage. "Oh great… that's not inconvenient at all," he thought sarcastically.

He looked at Morgan and nodded in towards the bucket, "S'rry… think tha's it."

Morgan looked over at the bucket before turning back to Peter with wide eyes, "That?! But I need my privacy!"

"P-privacy, huh?" Peter asked, amused that Morgan knew how to use the word correctly. He shrugged, "I'll k-keep my eyes closed." He had to really focus on his words since his tongue and lips still felt funny.

Morgan whined and squirmed a little. "I hate this place!" she complained.

"M-me too," he agreed, looking at her. He couldn't help but be amused by the young Stark. Even in this situation, her ability to look like her father when she was frustrated was the cutest thing he ever saw.

With another whine of frustration, Morgan slowly got up and walked towards the bucket. As soon as she was next to it, she frowned. She squirmed a little more and looked at him, "I don't think I can do it!"

Peter was just about to tell her that she didn't have any other choice, but then Justin walked in.

Morgan jumped and moved quickly back to Peter's side.

The man didn't say anything. He just shook his head at them while he removed the lock and opened the door. "Come on, kid. I'll give you a bathroom break," he told her.

Morgan looked up at Peter in surprise. She clearly didn't understand how he knew that she needed to go. Peter, however, was smart enough to figure out that answer. "You're watching us," he said, his eyes searching for a camera. He found it hanging on the wall outside of the cage. He couldn't believe he missed seeing that earlier.

"We're keeping our eyes and ears on you," the man confirmed. "Just to make sure you two are where you're supposed to be."

Morgan didn't move to get up, so Justin tried again. "You coming kid? Or not? That bucket is really for emergencies. I'd rather not have to empty it, so come on!"

Morgan looked at Peter with uncertainty. "Where is it?" Peter asked, reluctant to let Morgan out of his sight.

Justin rolled his eyes. "Oh for the love of…" he glared at them, "You're ridiculous, you know that?" He gestured to a door that was opposite of the wall with the camera. "It's right there! Hurry up already! First the girl… and then you, Parker. Let's go!"

Peter nodded at Morgan, letting her know that it was okay. Slowly, Morgan got up and walked towards Justin. "You'll be fine, Morgs. I'll be right here," he told her.

Justin left the door to their cage open. He must have been confident that Peter was still weak because he didn't even look back to make sure that Peter didn't try to follow. "What makes you think I'm n-not going to follow you out?" Peter asked, unsure of why he felt the need to ask the question. Maybe he shouldn't even draw attention to the open door.

Justin laughed as he led Morgan over to what was apparently the bathroom. "I'd like to see you try. Let's face it, you won't try anything funny… not with me so close to our little friend here."

Peter sent the man a hateful glare, and he saw Morgan flinch a little at the suggestion that he might use her to make Peter cooperate again. He watched as Morgan went inside, and he was relieved that Justin just waited outside. He couldn't help but hope that Morgan would find a window inside to crawl out and run.

As he waited, Peter decided to see if he could get to his feet. After all, Justin did say he would be next to use the bathroom, and he practically told him to get up and try to join them. Peter grabbed hold of the bars and began to pull himself up. It was a slow process that took much more work than he would have liked. He was finally to his feet and panting heavily when he heard Justin laughing and clapping at him from outside. "Well done, Parker. Now all you have to do is keep yourself from falling back on your ass."

"Have I told you how much I hate you?" Peter snapped at the man.

Justin laughed mockingly, "once… I'm sure you'll tell me again."

The door opened and Morgan stepped out, studying Peter and Justin carefully.

Justin took hold of Morgan's arm and walked her back towards their prison. Morgan wasn't fighting him. She wanted to get back to Peter's side. The man walked her all the way back to the mattress and looked at Peter. "Your turn," he said. "Let's go."

Peter was clutching the bars tightly. He was pretty sure he would fall if he let go… he was also quite sure that Justin knew that. "You really want to see me fall on my ass, don't you?" Peter challenged.

"Maybe," Justin laughed.

"I can help him," Morgan offered, concern evident in her voice.

Justin again rolled his eyes. He reached forward and grabbed Peter's upper-arm roughly. "Don't worry, sweetie. I'll give him all the help he needs." Peter bit back a groan as Justin took hold of him. He didn't want to scare Morgan. "You stay put!" Justin told Morgan. "I'm not afraid to break a few of Spider-Man's fingers."

As Peter was led out, he thought about voicing a smart retort about that being rather difficult. As Spider-Man, he wasn't usually hurt so easily. However, Justin was still wearing the armor over his arms, so Peter thought better of it. Especially since he certainly wasn't in peak condition at the moment. His muscles protested the sudden movement, and Peter was pretty sure he would fall on his face if Justin decided to let go.

"In you go…" Justin opened the door and gave Peter a push inside.

Peter felt himself falling, but was fortunately able to catch himself on a sink that was just inside. He heard the door close behind him, and he took the chance to look around. Unfortunately, there was no window to provide an escape. There was only a sink and a toilet in this room. He supposed he should be grateful that they had the decency to let them use the restroom, but he just couldn't bring himself to appreciate anything his captors did. Peter pulled himself up with a groan. The space was narrow enough that he could use the walls to support his weight and stay upright. He used the facilities quickly and didn't waste time. He didn't like the idea of making Morgan wait for him. Peter put his hand on the door to open it, but it was suddenly thrust open for him. The door opened outward, so the unexpected motion made him fall forward and land on his stomach. For the most part, he was able to catch himself, but he still hated that he had fallen at all.

Justin was laughing at him, "You make it too easy, kid."

Peter glared as he was roughly pulled to his feet and maneuvered back to his cell. Morgan was sitting inside anxiously watching their movements. Peter was pushed inside with her, falling to his knees. As the door was closed, Peter carefully crawled back to Morgan.

Morgan must have been feeling a little more brave because she looked at Justin and said, "I'm hungry. I didn't get to eat dinner."

"That's his fault!" He pointed at Peter. "You'll get something to eat later this morning. That's how it will work. We'll bring you food and you tell us when you need to use that…" he used his head to motion towards the bathroom.

"C-come on, man," Peter told him. "Don't you have anything that she can have now?"

Justin smirked and teased, "I can give her some of your special water, Parker… maybe that will stop her whining!"

Both Peter and Morgan stiffened at the suggestion.

"That's what I thought," the man said, looking quite pleased with himself. "See you in a few hours kids." With that, he walked back around the corner and down the hallway.

Peter hadn't really taken the time to notice his surroundings. The shock of the situation and his concern for Morgan had distracted him. He should've taken the chance to look around earlier, and he couldn't help but to scold himself for not paying more attention. It was no wonder that they were locked in a cage. There was no door to keep them in this space, so their captors needed to use this to keep them confined. They apparently watched them through a camera on the wall, and that hallway was the only way in or out. The only other thing in the area was the door into the tiny restroom. Peter let out a sigh as he settled back onto the mattress with Morgan. "Sorry, Morgs. I guess we'll have to wait until they give us some breakfast."

Morgan's stomach growled, but she ignored it and said, "It's okay. I'll be fine."

"You're being so brave, Morgan. You know that, right?" Peter said to her.

She looked up at him, but didn't say anything.

"I'm so proud of you," he added.

She smiled, "You're being brave, too." When he gave her a sad smile in return, she added, "I'm sorry they keep making you drink that bad stuff. I know it makes you feel yucky."

"It'll be okay…" Peter told her. Although, the words were also a way to reassure himself that he could handle it.

"Do you think Mommy will come get us soon?" Morgan asked him.

Peter could just imagine Pepper bursting through the wall in her Rescue armor. While he loved the idea of her coming to save them, he didn't want to lie to Morgan. He had no way of knowing when or how help would arrive. So instead, he opted to say, "I hope so, Morgs. I really hope so."

The two once again nestled close to one another, drifting into a much needed sleep.

* * *

"I don't understand why we can't get a location!" Pepper said in frustration. "We're supposed to be better at locating our enemies!"

"The decimation caused a lot of damage," Rhodes told her. "Satellites went down, people who could maintain the technology were gone for 5 years… not everything is up and running again. There's still a lot of stuff being repaired. Resources are more limited than they once were."

Pepper shook her head in despair, "Tony would know what to do."

The others gave her sympathetic looks. They knew she was desperate to find her daughter and Peter. She couldn't bear to lose anyone else.

"Don't they have tech in Wakanda we could use?" Bucky asked. "They are far more advanced than most places in the world. Surely they can help?"

"They're dealing with something over there. Apparently, there are enemies trying to get through the borders and access their supply of vibranium. Shuri is supposed to connect with us as soon as she can. She has the footage from the attack at the house, I'm sure she'll let us know if she finds anything we can use," Rhodes explained.

"This is a nightmare," May said. Steve raised a hand and gently placed it on her shoulder in an attempt to provide her with comfort. "What the hell is THAT?!" May suddenly exclaimed, pointing to the corner. Gold sparks danced in a circle as a portal opened.

"Strange," Sam said.

"Of course it's strange… it's very weird! What the hell are you going to do about it?!" May asked, standing up and moving behind her chair as if that would somehow protect her. She watched as two figures stepped through the circle before it closed quickly behind them.

"It's alright," Cap told her. "That's Dr. Strange. He knows Peter… he's a friend."

They all stared at the new arrivals. Stephen Strange locked eyes with them, concern evident in his gaze. Next to him stood a man with bulging muscles, short blond hair, and eyes of different colors.

"Thor?" Bruce asked, studying the man who stood next to Dr. Strange.

"Hello," the God of Thunder greeted simply, giving the group a wave.

"Hey man… you look…" Bruce continued to study him. "Wow…"

"I see you lost a few pounds," Steve commented.

"Thank you for noticing. Got a haircut as well, although that is mostly the result of losing a bet to the rabbit," Thor smiled. He then leaned over to the sorcerer next to him and asked, "Who is that old man?" He attempted to ask quietly, but they all heard him.

Strange ignored him and instead greeted Steve with, "Captain Rogers. We're here to help." He stepped forward towards the group, leaving Thor to gape at Steve.

"No…" Thor said, not fully believing his eyes. "Is that really you, Captain? Wow… what... what happened?"

"You see... I gained a few years," the man answered him.

"Yes… quite a few," Thor said bluntly.

Sam rolled his eyes, "Cap got a little side-tracked on his mission to return the stones. He decided he'd give old age a try."

"Really?!" Thor asked in surprise. Then he added, "Good for you. I must say Midguardian aging is quite fascinating. I'm over 1,500 years old and look at me!"

Steve just laughed, "It's nice to see you, too, old friend."

"Can we focus please?" Dr. Strange cut in. "I brought Thor to help us. It is of the utmost import that we get Tony's daughter and his ward back safely."

"Yes," Thor confirmed. "I am quite surprised to be here. One minute, I'm having a friendly battle with Star Lord, and then the next minute I was falling into the Strange Doctor's sanctum in New York!"

"I'm about to send you back!" Dr. Strange told him. "Again… we need to focus. The future of the universe depends on getting these children back safely. Both Morgan Stark and Peter Parker are needed if the world is to be kept safe in the future!"

Pepper moved towards him, "Not that I'm not grateful, but… I mean… Peter is an Avenger and all, but my daughter…"

"... Will follow in her father's footsteps to be one of the greatest heroes on Earth," Dr. Strange finished for her.

Pepper's mouth dropped open, but no words came out. She was speechless.

Thor clapped his hands together in excitement, "Stark would be so proud!"

Pepper shook her head, "I… I don't really understand. And right now… I'm not sure I care to understand. Just please tell me what you know so that we can get my daughter and Peter back!

"So, the demands are not yet made?" Strange asked.

"No," several Avengers answered in unison, clearly wanting the man to get to the point.

"Then we may still have time," the doctor commented.

"Listen, Stephen," Pepper said, opting to use his first name this time. "Tony told me about you, and don't think for a second that I don't believe you could have told him the truth about that final battle with Thanos! I hate you, by the way, for not just telling him the future so that he could better prepare! Right now… I need you to stop being so secretive and TELL US WHAT YOU KNOW!"

The room fell silent after her outburst, and everyone waited to hear the sorcerer's response.

"You need to understand… we must be careful. If I say too much, we may lose our chance to have the outcome we desire," he told her.

"Whatever," Rhodes said. "Just tell us how you can help."

"You must be careful with how you meet their demands. Time will be of the essence," Strange told him.

"What demands?" May asked, still standing behind her chair. "We don't have any demands yet."

"You will," he told her.

As if on cue, Pepper's phone rang. She looked at Stephen, and he just nodded to her. Pepper opted to pull the call up using FRIDAY, hoping to trace it. "Hello?" She answered.

"Pepper Potts… or do you prefer Mrs. Stark? How nice it is to hear your voice," the man on the phone said.

"Cut to the chase," she told him. "Where is my daughter? What have you done with her and Peter?"

"Well… aren't you in a hurry," the man laughed at her, mocking her concern. "I'm guessing you're already gathered with your merry band of misfits by now. Since you didn't ask my name, I'm curious… have you figured it out already?"

Rhodes walked up next to her, wanting to support Pepper and not leave to deal with this maniac alone. Clearly, he already expected them to be there. "Which one are you? Wilbur Katsma or Justin Katsma?" Rhodes asked abruptly.

"Ooohhh… Colonel James Rhodes… is that your voice I hear? The man teased. "How perfect… I thought there would be others with Tony's wife by now. I'm quite pleased."

"Hey dumbass…" Sam spoke up. "This is the Falcon. Stop stalling and answer the question! Who are we speaking to?"

The man just laughed, "Everyone is in such a hurry. This is Wilbur, but you can call me Will. I'm surprised you feel the need to rush. Don't you want to take some time? Try tracing my call?"

Bruce spoke next, "I'm guessing you've taken precautions against that… I doubt you'd bring it up otherwise."

"Wait… I know that voice! Is that the Jolly Green Giant? Bruce or Hulk? What do you go by these days?" Will asked.

"Enough of this!" Pepper cut in. "I want to know what you want!" She looked up at Stephen as she spoke her next words, wishing to somehow read the sorcerer's mind. "What are your demands?"

"Now you ask what the people want?" Will said, his voice turning cold. "What stopped the Avengers from asking what the people wanted before they flipped the world upside down? Do we need to take your children every time we want a say in what you people do?"

The group looked at one another, realizing their earlier suspicions were confirmed. This was an action against the whole team, and they were using Peter and Morgan to get to them.

"First, you bring that purple alien creature here to wipe out half of all people! If that's not enough, you let us have five years to try to settle before dropping everyone back in! Did you really think that wouldn't have consequences? Did you really think all of that wouldn't disrupt the lives of people?! Do you realize the damage you caused?! You selfish pricks have the nerve to call yourselves heroes, but we'll show the world what failures you all truly are!" The man's voice became louder with each word he spoke. His last words loud enough to make them all flinch.

He continued before they could ask any questions, "You killed my wife and my daughter! And you destroyed the reputation of my son even before that! You think you can do whatever you want." They heard the man take a few breaths to steady himself. "I know you used time travel to bring back those who vanished! I know it was Stark's technology that helped you do it. You're going to give me that technology, or the very kids who inspired Stark to sacrifice his life for them will be dead in the ground next to him!"

Everyone gasped as he spoke the last words. "If you touch a hair on my daughter's head… or if you even think of hurting Peter even more than you already have, you can forget about getting ANYTHING from us!" Pepper growled at him. This earned her a warning glare from the sorcerer, who stepped forward to speak.

"We hear your demands, and we'll give you what you want. Just tell us when and where." The others looked at Stephen in surprise as he spoke the words. Surely he wasn't actually thinking about giving up the time travel technology.

"That's what I wanted to hear," Will said. "I'll be sure to give you more instructions, but in the meantime…"

The others listened carefully as he let those words hang in the air, making them wait for his what he would say next.

"You'll want to pay attention to the live stream that will play on the news stations soon," Will's voice suggested.

"Wait!" Pepper called. "Hello? I want to talk to my daughter!" But the line was already dead.

"What the hell are you thinking Strange?" Rhodes demanded.

"I said we need to be careful with how we meet their demands. Not that we shouldn't meet them at all. We will have our own parts to play in his game, but for now…" he looked at them carefully. "He told us to watch the news."

With trepidation, Bucky pulled up a screen.

"I did not know that your streams on Midguard could come to life," Thor commented, clearly not understanding the concept of streaming video.

"It's a live image… a video, you idiot," Rhodes told him as he watched Bucky finish his task to find the live stream mentioned by the man.

_\- News Channel - Breaking News -_

_"Good Morning, this is Jill Brown coming to you with troubling news. The networks have been given access to a live feed of Tony Stark's young daughter, who appears to be trapped somewhere with the infamous Peter Parker… AKA Spider-Man."_

_**An image appears of Peter and Morgan trapped inside of their cell. They are scrunched together on a mattress and appear to be sleeping, unaware that they are likely being watched by thousands of people.**_

_"Morgan Stark is the 5-year-old daughter of Pepper Potts-Stark and the late Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man. It appears that she is being held captive with the young man that J. Jonah Jameson revealed as the likely killer of Quintin Beck. It is unclear why Morgan Stark is being held with the menacing Spider-Man. We can only hope that he is not playing a game and endangering the girl's life in order to make himself out to be the hero he pretends to be."_

"Oh… you've GOT to be kidding me!" May cried out in anger. "He's the victim, you dumb BI…"

She was cut off when the reporter continued:

_"This video was shared with us by so-called truth warriors who claim that they will reveal the true character of the Avengers. We cannot be sure, at this time, just how that will happen. However, we will continue to make this video feed available to the public while we wait to learn more. We will play this here on our station, and it will also be available on our website. In the meantime, we can only hope that Iron Man's daughter is not harmed."_

"That BITCH!" May yelled, finishing the word from her earlier thoughts. "I guess she doesn't care if anything happens to MY kid!" Everyone gave her a sympathetic look.

Bucky muted the screen and turned to the others, looking mostly towards Strange. "I don't get it… do they want the time travel technology, or do they want to destroy the reputation of the team?"

"It appears to be both, Buck," Steve answered.

Dr. Strange elaborated, "Both are a means to the same end. Katsma and his son want to turn the people against the Avengers and use the time travel for themselves. And…" he stopped, unsure of how the others would react to his next words. "... And they have no intention of letting the children live."

The color drained from the faces of the people in the room. There was no way they would let Peter and Morgan be killed.

Steve stood to his feet with a groan, "Avengers…" he started, looking at Sam.

"Assemble," the Falcon growled out, finishing his friend's sentence and ready to earn the very shield that was given to him by Steve. They would help Peter and Morgan. Whatever it takes!

* * *

**A/N: I have more ready to post, but this seemed like a good place to end the chapter. I'm going to keep working on the next chapter, so the next update should come pretty soon.**

**Also, I know the bathroom scene might seem silly, but I'm always bothered when characters are held captive with no explanation on how basic needs are met. There is no way characters can last that long! Just saying!**

**Please leave me a review. I'd love to know which parts you find most enjoyable. Is there something else you want to see? While I know where this story is going, I will try to incorporate requests if I can. See you in the next chapter! **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Here it is... I knew I would get this up quickly. I'm not sure about the next chapter, though. It could be Tuesday before that one is ready. **

CHAPTER 6: Pink Elephants or Something Worse?

MJ walked into her school on Wednesday morning feeling exhausted. She stayed far too late at Ned's house waiting for news from Peter, and she was up most of the night worrying about him. She couldn't explain it, but she had a really bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. Her instincts told her that Spider-Man was in serious trouble.

She looked up to see Ned running towards her, "MJ! MJ! You need to come quick. Jason and Betty are streaming a video of Peter and Tony Stark's daughter!"

"What?" She pushed by him and made her way to a screen in the hallway. Every student in the school seemed to be looking at a screen. Ned followed closely behind her.

Kids were either pointing to their phones, or looking at the school news report. She and Ned heard things like, "Is that Peter?" and "What's he doing in a cage?" or "What is he doing with Morgan Stark?"

_"Good Morning, Midtown Science and Technology." Betty's voice was heard. "By now, many of your are tuning in to the same video feed that is streaming on news stations everywhere. Midtown's own missing student, Peter Parker, is apparently a prisoner with Iron Man's young daughter. In case you've been living under a rock and don't know already, Peter is also Spider-Man. The Daily Bugle revealed, not too long ago, that Peter brutally murdered Quentin Beck right under our noses while we were in London! While Peter's betrayal has been confusing for us all, this situation with Morgan Stark is even more confusing. We can only hope that Peter and Morgan will be rescued… and we can also hope that this isn't some trick to gain our sympathy."_

_"That would be messed up!" Jason added. "It looks like Peter and Morgan don't even know people can see them." He looked at Betty, "This doesn't look too good for our old friend."_

_Betty shakes her head and looks at the camera. "It looks like reality TV just got real."_

_Jason looks confused, "It's always real… isn't it? That's why it's called reality TV."_

_Betty shakes her head and rolls her eyes at him, "Don't be so naive."_

The school news cuts away to the video of Peter and Morgan. MJ turns to Ned, "I don't get it. How could someone capture Peter and lock him away? Shouldn't he just be able to break out?"

Ned shrugged, "I don't know, but I don't like this. He told me about meeting Tony's daughter. I think he loves her like a little sister. He would never let her get hurt."

"So he's just going along with this?" MJ shook her head. "That doesn't seem right. There's something else going on with him."

The friends looked up as Principal Morita entered the hallway. "Students! Please proceed to your classrooms! Your teachers will address the news reports with you in class. Please put away your cell phones and proceed to first period! Thank you!"

Ned looked at his friend, "No way they're going to let students watch this all day."

"You're right," MJ raised an eyebrow at him. "Wanna skip school?"

"Definitely," Ned told her. "Let's get out of here. I want to know exactly what's going on!"

The two ducked through the crowd of students in the hallway. They hoped to be able to slip out of the school and go unnoticed in all of the chaos. They would learn later that someone was following them.

* * *

Peter stirred when he heard someone coming into the room. He watched as Will and Justin came in with trays of food. Will unlocked the door, making Morgan sit up and rub her eyes.

Once the door was open, Justin entered and set both trays on the floor. While the food didn't look like much, both of their stomachs growled in anticipation. The trays looked to have bowls of oatmeal and buttered toast. One tray had water, and the other tray had a juice box.

Justin pointed to the one with water, "This one is yours," he told Peter. He pointed to the one with juice, "This is for the kid, got it?"

Peter just nodded. He guessed as much. Justin walked out, and Will once again locked the door.

"I'd use good manners while you eat, kids," Will smirked. "You have an audience."

Before Peter could ask him what he meant, the two men walked away.

"What's an aud- um… audi…" Morgan looked at Peter, hoping he would understand what she was trying to ask.

He frowned, "An audience? It's… when people are watching something… like when people watch a TV show." Peter looked towards the camera. "Maybe Will and Justin aren't the only ones watching us." He hadn't really meant to say that last part out loud.

Morgan looked at him with surprise. "Do you think Mommy and Aunt MayMay see us?"

Peter looked at her and answered honestly, "I'm not really sure." He looked at the trays that were left for them, and his stomach growled once more. "Come on," he told her. Peter pulled himself towards the tray with some effort and motioned for Morgan to join him.

The little girl scrunched up her face, "I don't like oatmeal."

Peter chuckled at her, "Yeah… it's not my favorite thing, either, Morgs. But we need to eat to keep our strength up."

Morgan reached for the bread first and eagerly took a bite. Peter did the same and wasted no time eating his bread at the same time that Morgan devoured hers. Next, Morgan picked up her juice box, inspecting it closely.

"You need help with that?" Peter offered, knowing they weren't always easy to open.

"I'm… I'm a little scared to drink it," Morgan admitted.

Peter smiled at her. "Here… Let me take a look." He inspected her juice box carefully. Everything seemed to be in place. The straw was in the wrapper and the hole for the straw still had the silver foil in place. Plus, he didn't see any holes or tears in the box anywhere. "It looks safe to me, kiddo." Peter removed the straw and put it in the juice box before handing it back to her. "I don't think they're worried about putting anything in your drink."

Morgan looked doubtful for a moment, but she eventually took a sip. The little girl was clearly thirsty because her sip turned into gulps as she desperately drank the liquid.

Peter smiled at her and picked up his oatmeal. There was no doubt in his mind that his own food and water were likely drugged… his own senses told him that much. He had no reason to believe that they would subject Morgan to the same treatment. For a moment, he thought he should refrain from eating anything else. He wondered if it was really a good idea to allow himself to be drugged any further. His stomach answered his thoughts for him when it growled loudly yet again. With his fast metabolism, Peter really needed food. The food on his tray was hardly enough, but it was better than nothing. Eating nothing would almost be as bad as taking the drugs. Plus, they would only force him later by threatening Morgan if he didn't take them now. With a sigh of defeat, Peter began eating the food left on his tray.

Morgan also chose to eat her oatmeal. She was just too hungry to waste the food. She saw Peter reaching for his glass of water, "Wait! Don't drink that!" She looked at Peter with concern.

Peter picked up the water and gave her a sad look. "I have to drink it, Morgs. My body needs water."

"But that's probably bad water!" She argued. "I told you I don't like when you drink bad water!"

"Morgan…" Peter looked at her, sad that she had to see him like this. "... it might not be." He lied… he had every reason to believe it was drugged. He just felt like she didn't need to know that. He swallowed the contents of the glass and placed it back on the tray.

It hadn't taken either of them too long to finish the meager breakfast they were given, especially since they had both been so hungry.

"Did you get enough to eat?" Peter asked her. "Do you feel better?"

"Uh huh…" Morgan told him. She looked around their prison and then back up at Peter. "I'm bored. What are we supposed to do here?"

Peter chuckled at her question. "I think we're just supposed to wait," he told her, feeling a familiar heaviness through his limbs.

"For Mommy?" Morgan asked.

"Y-yeah," Peter answered, quickly trying to move himself back to their bed before his movements became too difficult.

Morgan watched as Peter had to struggle to get back to the mattress. "It was bad water," she told him matter of factly.

"Probably," Peter admitted.

Morgan stayed by her tray and eyed Peter curiously. "Do you think you'll get used to it? Maybe it's not as bad? Maybe it's easier each time?"

Peter knew it was likely to depend more on the dose Justin decided to give him. He doubted the man would extend him mercy, so he just gave Morgan a sad smile and said, "I don't know about that."

"No... really…" Morgan insisted. "The first time I climbed the tree in my backyard, it was really hard. Then, it just seemed to get easier! Maybe it will be something like that!"

The hope in the young girl's eyes was adorable, but Peter knew the two things were very different. Yet, he couldn't be the reason the little girl lost hope. "Maybe," he answered her.

Morgan smiled and joined him back in the corner. She picked up the blanket and pulled it towards them.

"Cold?" he asked her.

"Not really," she told him. "But I thought you might be… you're shivering."

Peter frowned and looked down at his body. Before Morgan covered them up with the blanket, he noticed the way his muscles seemed to twitch._ "Shit… that's probably not good,"_ he thought to himself. Of course, he wasn't going to say anything to Morgan. Instead, he just smiled at her and said, "Thanks."

* * *

The Avengers watched the live video feed together. They stopped what they were doing the moment the activity picked up. They were mostly happy to see that Peter and Morgan were being fed, but they also knew that the food was likely to be tainted, especially Peter's food.

Pepper couldn't stop the tears that formed in her eyes as she watched her daughter. She couldn't help but to be grateful to Peter as he tried to take care of her and encouraged her to eat.

They noticed how Morgan tried to stop Peter from drinking his water.

"She knows what they're doing to him," Pepper commented sadly. She hated that her daughter was exposed to something so terrible at such a young age.

"I wish I could hear what they're saying," May added.

The live stream did not include audio. They were only able to see what was happening to Peter and Morgan. While they were happy to have the chance to see them, they wished they could have audio to give them more clues. The visual held no clues to their whereabouts at all.

"I would try to stop Peter, too," Bruce spoke up. They looked over to see him studying some screens in front of him. "It seems like their giving him one strong cocktail of muscle relaxants, sedatives, and some other things I can't quite identify." He tapped at the screen. "I'm sending this to Shuri… hopefully she'll have some time to look at it and come up with more."

May looked back at the screen, watching as Peter struggled to pull himself back to their little corner. "My boy… what are they doing to you?"

Pepper put an arm around her. "Our kids will be okay… they will," her voice was full of determination.

Bruce walked up next to them, studying Peter. He noticed how Peter's limbs seemed to shake and twitch. "Hmm…"

"What?" May asked him.

Just as Morgan was grabbing the blanket, Bruce said, "Looks like he's shaking or twitching a little." He sighed, "We gotta get them home. I'm not sure Peter's body can handle the constant onslaught of drugs for too long."

Strange appeared next to him. As a doctor himself, he also studied the results from testing the water bottle. "I'm more worried about his mind. Some muscle relaxants can cause confusion… combine it with the wrong drugs and he'll start seeing things."

"Are we talking pink elephants or something worse?" Sam asked.

"Worse," Bruce and Stephen answered at the same time, making May groan in despair.

"We have this 'live stream' as you call it," Thor chimed in. "Can that not be used to find Peter and young Morgan?

"We're trying," Bucky answered, with Rhodes standing with him.

"The signal is bouncing all over the place," Rhodey added.

"Of course it is," Pepper said in exasperation. She looked at Dr. Strange. "I think it's time that you elaborate on whatever plan your forming in that wizard-brain of yours. I want my daughter and Peter back in my arms now!"

* * *

Hours passed as MJ and Ned wandered around the city. They moved from place to place, stopping to watch the footage of their friend and the young Stark at various stores and cafes. Anywhere that had a TV, really. They watched as Morgan and Peter were taken to a small door outside their cell one by one before being taken back and given more food for their lunch. If MJ weren't mistaken, it looked like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches served with packs of fruit snacks or something.

They were currently watching from inside a convenience store and were picking up something to eat for themselves, but they weren't yet able to pull their eyes away from their best friend.

Ned had just picked up a pack of jerky. He was distracted by the way Peter seemed to hesitate when lifting up his glass of water. "Hey, MJ… I think… oomph!" Ned nearly swore. As he was turning around to find MJ, he knocked right into someone else.

"Hey, watch it!" the voice said.

"Flash?!" Ned exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

Upon hearing the commotion, Michelle walked over and was stunned to see her classmate. "Did you follow us?" She asked him, clearly annoyed.

"Seriously, Dude?!" Ned added. "So not cool!"

Flash brushed off his clothes in an attempt to straighten them out after being bumped by Ned. "What?" he asked them. "You guys are allowed to skip school and watch the news, and I'm not?"

"What do you care?" MJ challenged him. "It's not like Peter's your friend."

A guilty look crossed the bully's face, and Ned was surprised to see regret in his eyes. "I get it! I'm not his favorite person, but I deserve to know what's happening to him!"

"Are you actually worried?" Ned asked.

"No!" Flash told him, likely trying to maintain his image as the tough kid. "I mean… I don't know…" he shrugged. "Maybe…"

MJ and Ned just gave him looks of complete shock and surprise.

"If you tell anyone that I gave a damn about Parker, you're dead!" he threatened, but his words really didn't seem to hold much malice. It was obvious he was more embarrassed.

"There's the Flash we know," Ned commented, moving to the register to purchase his items.

MJ studied the bully a moment longer, "You don't have to be embarrassed about caring, Flash."

The other boy shrugged as if uncomfortable, "Whatever." He looked at the screen and MJ followed his lead to see what was happening.

Peter and Morgan had just finished their second meal, and Peter looked like he was struggling to stay upright.

"You think they're drugging him?" Flash asked, matter of factly.

She just blinked at him. She shouldn't be surprised by his lack of tact.

"I definitely think they're drugging him," Flash continued. "No way Spider-Man would just sit back and do nothing. They have to be weakening him somehow."

Ned walked up, purchases in hand. "Actually," he told MJ. "I was just about to say that I suspected the same thing. He seemed hesitant about drinking the water."

MJ had already purchased her food and moved towards the door. She wanted to move to another spot, or find a place to sit. She was starting to feel like the walls were closing in around her. The boys moved to follow her. They made their way outside and walked silently. Each one seemed lost to their own thoughts. "Why do you think he would take it so willingly?" She asked suddenly, stopping to sit on a bench where they could see the video feed just inside of another storefront.

"Huh?" Flash and Ned asked at the same time, neither one understanding her question.

She looked at Ned, "You said he hesitated to drink the water. I think I saw that, too. Peter's smart. He must know they're drugging him, but why would he let them."

Ned looked toward the images playing out on the screen inside. Morgan was snuggled into Peter's side and looked like she was telling her friend a story or something. "You know why," he told her. "Look at them."

The kids observed the interactions between Peter and Morgan.

"You think they're threatening Iron Man's kid?" Flash asked.

"I guess that could be it," MJ said. "That probably makes the most sense." She shook her head. "Leave it to Peter to hurt himself to stop someone else from getting hurt."

"Yeah.." Ned agreed. "That's definitely something Peter would do."

"I don't get it," Flash said. "He's all self-sacrificing here… letting himself get drugged. How can he be this good and be a killer at the same time?"

"He's not," MJ and Ned said together.

"But you saw the video from the Daily Bugle! Peter clearly killed Mysterio!" Flash argued.

"Do you believe everything that you see?' MJ challenged. "The attacks in Europe weren't even real! It was all drones and controlled explosions. Mysterio was the one to orchestrate that. Not Peter!"

"Exactly! Beck framed him, dude!" Ned added.

"If that's true," Flash said. "How do we know this is real?" He gestured to the video inside.

"With Peter's luck, do you really think this is fake?" MJ asked him.

"Parker does seem to have the worst luck," Flash acknowledged. "I still don't know… Mysterio sure seemed like one of the good guys."

A new voice spoke up behind them, "Good guys don't throw people in front of fast-moving trains."

The kids stood up quickly to face the new man speaking to them.

"Mr. Happy?" Ned said in surprise. "Where did you come from?"

MJ wasn't so worried about that. Instead she asked, "Who got hit by a train?"

Flash just said, "You're that guy who works with Spider-Man!"

"Never mind," Happy answered, looking at Flash. "Who is this kid?" He looked at him more closely. "Isn't this the jerk who calls Peter a Penis?"

"Umm… uh…" Flash was clearly lost for words, intimidated by the man in front of him.

"He is…" Michelle said, earning a glare from the bully. "... but apparently he's coming around to our side." She glared at Happy. "Were you following us?"

"Not exactly," Happy told her. "When I discovered you degenerates skipped school, I got worried. I promised the kid I would make sure no one bothered his friends while he was out of town." Happy looked at Flash and pointed at Ned and MJ. "That includes them… not you… I don't care if anyone bothers you."

Flash looked a bit shocked, but wisely said nothing.

"So Peter did leave town on his own free will?" MJ asked, clearly confused about he ended up in his current situation.

"Left the city… yes. Planned on getting kidnapped… absolutely not. He and Morgan were taken approximately…" He looked at his watch, "19 hours ago."

They were all quiet a moment.

"How'd you know we skipped school?" Ned asked, trying to change the subject.

"So you have been watching us?" MJ asked, almost scolding the man. "I'm pretty sure that's not legal."

"It's not like that!" Happy defended. "I have tech that sends me notifications if you're marked absent from any of your classes! I'm not spying on you and watching your every move. I have better things to do with my time."

"So… how did you find us here?" Ned asked.

A guilty look crossed the older man's face, "I tracked your phones."

"Seriously?" MJ reprimanded him. "That is not okay!"

Happy looked towards the screen with Peter and Morgan, "I needed to make sure you kids are alright." He studied them a moment, "Are you alright?" He nodded towards the screen.

"No…" Ned told him. "Are you?"

Happy continued to watch Peter and Morgan, "Not anywhere close." Happy shook his head. "I never thought I would let Tony down this badly."

"You worked with Iron Man, too?" Flash asked him, sounding perhaps a little too excited.

"He was one of my best friends, kid," Happy said, his voice full of sadness.

"But the Avengers are doing something about this, right?" MJ asked, sounding hopeful.

"They're trying," Happy told them. "Come on, let's get out of here. The car's just over there."

They started to follow when Flash stopped them, "Are we just going to leave with this guy? What if we get kidnapped and locked up like Spider-Man?"

"Dude, relax," Ned told him. "It's just Happy."

"Yeah…" MJ said. "He's probably just going to take us back to school or home to our parents or something."

Flash watched as Ned and MJ walked ahead. He had nothing better to do, so he decided just to go along and followed after them.

* * *

"Let me get this straight," May said, staring at the sorcerer. "You want to use the same stuff that Beck used to frame Peter as a way to trick the kidnappers into thinking they are actually using time travel?" She threw her hands into the air. "How could that possibly go wrong?" She moved to stand right in front of the man, wagging a finger in front of his face. "Do not even think about gambling with the lives of our kids! Morgan is only five-years-old! FIVE! And Peter's just a teenager! He only just turned 17 this summer! Sure, he's getting older… but he's still my kid!"

Shuri had called in to consult with them. A hologram of the princess hovered nearby. "With my modifications, Stark's EDITH technology should be quite convincing. They will most certainly believe that they are traveling through time."

"We'd have to pick the right moment. It would need to be something from their own past if we're going to truly convince them," Rhodes said, sounding a little skeptical.

"Let's say we do this… we manage to manipulate a scene from the Katsma's life," Pepper looked tired as she tried to understand. "How does that help us get to Peter and Morgan?"

"While they believe they're time-traveling, we get to the kids," Bruce said. "That's what you're thinking, right Strange?"

"Precisely, a couple of us will need to deliver the item," Strange explained. "And the rest will need to get to Peter and Morgan as quickly as possible."

"I want to help with the rescue," Pepper told them. "No way I'm leaving our kids to die."

"What about me?" May asked. "What am I supposed to do? Sit on my ass? I want to help!"

"We'll deliver it," Cap suggested.

May turned to look at him, "What?"

"The two of us will take the fake time-traveling device to the kidnappers," Steve told her. "What could be more convincing that we have time-travel technology than an aged Captain America."

May made a face that indicated that she thought he made a good point.

"I don't like the idea of you two facing them along during an exchange," Rhodes commented. "No offense, Steve, but you're not exactly in prime shape. You two would be defenseless if they tried something."

"I'll go with them," Professor Hulk offered. "I don't think they'll mess with them if I'm there. Plus, I'll be able to explain how their 'technology' works."

Thor looked thoughtful and looked at Strange. "You say we will need to get to the children quickly. You must know the danger they will be in. What did you see?"

Strange looked thoughtful for a moment. "It wasn't like moving forward in time to see how we would defeat Thanos. Everything was in bits and pieces, but…" he looked at them for a moment. "I shouldn't reveal too much, but… I saw them drown… the water full of blood."

May and Pepper gasped, and the Avengers standing nearby moved to offer each one support.

"You're sure?" Pepper asked quietly, fighting tears.

The sorcerer nodded. "It was odd... one minute, I saw a future that was bright. Peter was helping to lead the Avengers with Morgan Stark fighting by his side. Then everything changed, and I saw them dying. I flashed back to the future, and…" Strange took a deep breath. "... everything was dark."

"Oh my God," May gasped.

"I think…" Strange told them. "I think I know why things were flashing and jumping around so terribly. One was a reality where you gave the Katsma's the real time travel devices… causing them to damage the timelines. The other was the result of the timeline staying on the trajectory that it is now: Peter and Morgan growing up to protect the world."

Sam frowned, "I can't believe we would ever give up the real time travel devices. Are you sure they weren't dying because we didn't give in to their demands? What if we are actually making a choice now that leads to the bad future you saw?"

Bucky nodded, "I was wondering the same thing."

Strange seemed to struggle with his thoughts for a moment. "This is why we need to plan how we meet their demands carefully. We need to split up. Some should try to find where they're being kept, some will work on the fake time travel using EDITH, and we all need to understand where we will be when the time comes to get the children to safety."

"I am willing to search," Thor offered.

"I was hoping you would," Strange suggested.

Shuri spoke up, her hologram still present in the room. "I think I can help narrow things down. I was able to use our technology to track the van after it left Stark's house."

"Oh my God!" Pepper said with excitement. "Where? We can go get them now!"

"I'm afraid the location is not exact," Shuri said sadly. "But it looks like it stopped somewhere in either the state of New Hampshire or Maine."

Pepper's shoulders slumped, "Damn it! That's still a lot of ground to cover."

"Ocean water…" Strange said. "Thor… you will need to look for a place along the coastline. Somewhere that could house a cage like the one in the video."

"I'll go with him," Sam offered, prepared to use his Falcon wings.

"Me too," Rhodes offered.

"Thank you," Pepper told them. "Make sure you take the comms and let us know if you see anything!"

"Of course," Thor said. And before long, Thor, Sam, Rhodes were making their way to the roof and prepared to fly.

"Can Thor Fly without Mjolnir?" Bruce asked.

"He has his way of getting around," Strange said. And it wasn't long before they all heard the sound of thunder and saw a flash of lightning.

"I need to get back to my brother. Dr. Banner, I sent you all the specifications on how you can use Stark's EDITH program to manipulate the appearance of time travel. I also included some possibilities for the unknown drugs. Please call me if I can do anything else to help," and with that Shuri signed off and her hologram disappeared.

May looked at Pepper, "This will work. It has to work!"

Bruce and Strange began working on the illusion to fool the kidnappers, Pepper and Bucky talked rescue strategy, and May and Steve discussed how they would make the drop when the time came. Thor, Sam, and Rhodes had checked in, but had not yet been able to find anything useful.

They were all at least feeling better. If they were working, then they were that much closer to finding Peter and Morgan.

Suddenly, Pepper's phone rang and everyone in the room froze at the sound of it.

Pepper took a shuddering breath and answered it, "Hello?"

"I'm sending you coordinates. Meet us at the location tomorrow morning. 9:35 am. Bring the time traveling devices and you'll get your kids back," the man said.

"Why are you doing this?" Pepper said tiredly. "They've already been through so much. Please… Please… I'm begging you… let them go." In her mind, Pepper was fighting the image of Peter and Morgan drowning as the water filled with blood.

"It doesn't work that way," he answered. "Now you know what's like to feel helpless when people you love are taken from you."

"How do I know we're getting them back alive?" Pepper asked desperately.

It was too late, the call had already ended.

May was crying behind her, "You were right, Strange. They have no intention of giving us our kids back. They're going to kill them."

Steve shook his head, "We'll get to them before that happens."

"What are the coordinates?" Bucky asked Pepper.

She looked down at her phone to see a text, and gave the coordinates to him.

He plugged them in. "This is in Vermont," Bucky told her. "Are we sure Princess Shuri had the right states."

"No… that makes sense," Strange said. That location would be approximately halfway between here and the coastline of New Hampshire or Maine.

"But tomorrow morning… will we be ready?" Pepper asked with concern.

"We'll make sure we are," Bruce told her.

Strange looked at the screen with Peter and Morgan's image. The two had just been served a dinner of brothy soup and crackers. "I don't understand why they're streaming this for the world to see. This will just make the public more sympathetic towards them. By now, people must realize that young Peter is a victim just like Morgan. How do they think this will discredit the Avengers?"

"Because we haven't saved them yet," Bucky suggested.

"Maybe," Steve added, feeling afraid that there was something more. He didn't miss the way Peter seemed to sway even more after his dinner. The young man seemed to be looking around in confusion. He backed himself back into the corner of the cell, pushing himself into the bars as much as he was physically able to do so. Morgan was looking at him with uncertainty, and she craned her neck as if trying to see something."

The others turned to look at the screen when they noticed Steve staring at it in concern.

"Oh no…" Bruce said.

"What's the kid looking at?" Bucky questioned out loud.

May and Pepper held onto each other, seeking support as they watched.

"Something worse than pink elephants," Dr. Strange said ominously.

And if they weren't convinced enough earlier that they needed to get them home sooner rather than later, they were absolutely convinced of it now.

* * *

**A/N: Oh dear. What does Peter see? Be prepared, folks. You will need tissues for what Peter will go through next.**

**P.S. I still LOVE reviews ;)**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Another long chapter ahead. It's a bit of an emotional roller coaster, but I tried to ensure there was some comic relief, I also added someone special for my reviewer HHaines. Enjoy! **

***Hallucinations are center aligned.***

**P.S. Marvel still owns them.**

CHAPTER 7: Tell Us All Your Secrets

Peter couldn't blame Morgan for wanting more to do. Waiting in their cage all day for the next meal or the next bathroom break was far from interesting or exciting. Their day mostly consisted of cat naps and small talk. Although, Morgan seemed to do most of the talking.

Unlike the first time Justin drugged him, he still had the ability to form words. However, having a conversation was challenging. It seemed like Peter's mind was just getting muddled somehow. He couldn't really focus long enough to say anything interesting, so he just kept his comments short and sweet. Fortunately, Morgan had no problem filling up the silence.

She shared stories about her father, mostly. She talked about spying on him as he worked in his garage. She told Peter about how he wanted to create a row boat that did all the rowing itself, something her mother didn't let him do. Apparently, Pepper enjoyed the traditional experience just fine.

Peter was fascinated by the young girl. She truly amazed him. Most children her age would beg for care and protection in this situation, but Morgan was happy to do her best to protect and take care of Peter. The level of trust and love he somehow managed to earn from her was something he would cherish forever.

While the day moved painfully slow, somehow they made it their evening meal. The meal wasn't anything special, but he was so happy that they weren't depriving Morgan of much-needed nourishment. And while his body still attempted to warn him away from it, Peter didn't fight with consuming the drugs he knew to be there. He would not let them threaten Morgan to earn his cooperation. No… he would give his cooperation willingly. Whatever happened to him wasn't important. Morgan's safety was the only thing that really mattered.

As the food from his dinner was settling, Peter couldn't help but notice that something was different this time. It was as if the air around him was buzzing, and everything seemed so strange.

He closed his eyes and took steadying breaths, figuring that the drugs were just getting to be a little too much for him. Surely resting his eyes would help a little. He had been sitting and resting for a while when something quite unexpected happened. His eyes snapped open as soon as he heard someone moving around outside of their makeshift prison.

"Damn it… where are they?" The man outside said. "Okay… who did it? Who stole my blueberries? I had them hidden right here!"

Peter stared at the man in shock. "M-Mr. Stark?" Peter blinked his eyes rapidly and shook his head. "How… what?"

Morgan stared at him, "What's the matter? Do you want me to tell you more stories about playing with Daddy?" The little girl had no idea why Peter would bring up her father, so she assumed he must want to hear more stories.

"Never mind!" Tony called out, suddenly producing a container of blueberries that seemed to appear out of thin air. "I found them!"

"Mr. Stark? Tony?" Peter asked, trying to be loud enough for the phantom to hear him.

Morgan seemed to notice that Peter was staring towards the corner of the room, so she followed his gaze.

"M-Morgan… d-do you see a-anything over th-there?" Peter asked her.

The little girl craned her neck, desperately trying to see whatever it was Peter was seeing. "What is it? Is someone here to save us?"

Peter turned to look at her, "You...um... d-don't see him?"

"Who?" she asked, clearly confused.

Rather than attempt an explanation, Peter turned to look back at Tony. He blinked again. His eyes had to be playing games with him. Now, Tony was in his Iron Man armor and talking to what seemed to be a younger version of Steve Rogers.

"What are you wearing?" Tony asked Steve. "I thought we agreed that the spangly outfit was so last season? Got anything in another color that you can wear?"

"What's wrong with this?" The phantom of Steve Roger's asked.

"I don't like it," Tony said simply.

"Okay…" Steve's suit suddenly shifted into a tuxedo, almost like something James Bond would wear.

Peter even thought he heard the James Bond theme song playing from somewhere.

"You can't wear that, either!" Tony scolded.

Suddenly, the Iron Man suit seemed to evaporate, leaving Tony in a Tuxedo of his own. "If you are wearing a tux, then I'm wearing one."

"Fine," Steve told him.

"Fine," Tony agreed.

Peter closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the bars, trying to take a few more deep breaths. "Oh god… oh god… shit… not good!" he cursed out loud. This was it. He cracked. Peter was quite certain that he had completely lost his mind this time.

"What's the matter? You're scaring me, Peter." Morgan's voice sounded lost and confused. She would have no way to help him with this problem.

Peter avoided the phantoms outside the cage, and turned his focus on Morgan. "Hm? Uh… n-nothin'. For-get i-it. 'M fine." He kept his eyes on her. He wouldn't look back at Tony… nope… he wasn't going to do it. Seeing anymore of Tony would only confirm that Peter truly had gone insane.

"You're not fine!" Morgan told him. "You're acting funny! I don't like it!"

"Stop scaring my kid, Parker. Chill out." Tony's voice called to him.

Peter gulped, and looked back up to see Tony inside with them. He was now wearing an AC/DC t-shirt and drinking what looked like a glass of scotch. Steve Rogers was nowhere to be seen at the moment. Peter's breathing became more erratic as the panic inside of him escalated. _"Not there,"_ Peter told himself, _"He's not there… I'm dreaming. It's just a dream! I must be sleeping."_

The image of Tony seemed to have the ability to read his mind.

"No, no… you're awake," the man took another sip from his glass and looked through the bars of the cell. "Nice view, huh?"

Peter shifted his attention outside of his prison. Instead of the same walls as before, he saw the decimated planet of Titan. _"_

_Oh no! Not here… not this place. I don't want to be here!"_ Peter thought. He didn't care if he was dreaming or awake… he had no desire to see this planet again.

"Might want to do something about that," Tony suggested, nodding towards Peter's hands as he faded away to dust.

"Wha'? No!" Peter cried out. He looked down at his hands. "Not ag-again! No! NO!" he cried, watching as his hands began turning to dust in front of his very eyes. He couldn't breathe. It was impossible to breathe. He was dying… again!

"PETER!" Morgan yelled at him, shaking him violently. "Stop! What is it? What's wrong? Please…"

Peter seemed to come back to himself at the sound of Morgan's voice. He sucked in a breath of air and looked at her face. Her eyes were full of fear as she looked at him. He dared to look around again, but this time nothing was there. They were alone and in the same old room.

He again fought to gain control of his breathing. "so'kay… I'm okay… it's f-fine. W-we're okay."

"What happened?" Morgan asked him as she trembled slightly.

Peter didn't miss the tears in her eyes as he looked at her. "-'m s'rry. I-it was j-just a n-nightmare," he told her. He was breathing easier, but he was still shaken.

She frowned, "B-but you were awake!"

"S-sorry… it's okay," Peter said. He did his best to pull her into a hug and hold her. He wasn't really sure if the action was meant to soothe her or soothe himself. Peter clung to her like a lifeline. Even in his confused state, he had a pretty good idea of what just happened. A tear escaped down Peter's cheek as he realized… "Oh my god. I'm hallucinating!" He realized he may have to rethink his compliance with taking the drugs after all.

* * *

Sure enough, Happy's plan had been to take the teenagers back to school. As they were getting closer, MJ decided she wasn't really comfortable with going back. She threatened Happy with charges for kidnapping so that he would agree to take them somewhere else.

Reluctantly, Happy agreed. They drove around the city for awhile, and made some stops here and there. Each high schooler texted their parents. There was some admonishment for skipping school, but the parents seemed mostly concerned for them. They let their parents know that they were going to hang out a little longer, but would return home before it got too late. Ned and MJ also didn't fail to notice that their parents seemed far more concerned and worried than Flash's parents.

When it was time to eat again, Happy decided to take them somewhere he believed to be relatively safe. The restaurant was covered in Avengers memorabilia and pictures. The owner's most prized photograph was beautifully framed, and it showed a tired-looking group of Avengers eating together after the Battle of New York.

"What is shawarma, anyway?" Ned asked, looking around the restaurant. "Why did you choose this place?"

Happy shrugged, "Tony was a regular here when he still had the tower in the city. Shawarma was the first thing he wanted to eat after surviving the battle against the Chitauri."

"It's a Middle Eastern dish, dufus!" Flash scolded Ned. "And it's delicious."

MJ just shook her head at them, choosing to stay quiet and send them a look that she hoped conveyed her overall disapproval. She wasn't really hungry. She couldn't really eat when she was stressed. While the others seemed Happy to eat away their worries, MJ kept her eyes on the news station that was still playing the video feed of Peter and Morgan. She couldn't believe that so many stations were broadcasting something so terrible. This wasn't some kind of reality TV gimmick! These were people she cared about, and they didn't deserve to have people watch as they were treated like animals.

When she saw Peter eating, she decided to eat a few bites of her own meal as well. Ned was also nervously watching. She didn't miss the way her friend struggled to sit still. She knew he wanted to help out, and it was killing him just to sit back and watch.

Flash kept making comments about the Avengers, stating that they would blast through the wall at any minute. Ned thought his classmate was likely just hoping to witness the heroes in action as they saved the day.

Happy was his usual grumpy self. He wasn't thrilled with his role as 'babysitter,' but looking after Peter's friends made him feel like he was actually doing something useful. He couldn't help Peter or Morgan, so he could at least make sure Peter's friends were staying out of trouble.

Before long, Happy noticed that things were strange about Peter's actions and behavior. He was staring, wide-eyed into the corner of the room. And Morgan Stark was clearly getting freaked out by whatever was going on with the teenager.

"Umm… What's happening?" MJ asked, not at all pleased with the situation playing out in front of her.

"What's he looking at?" Ned asked.

"Are the Avengers there? Did they arrive?" Flash asked in anticipation.

In his years as Tony's head of security, Happy had learned to read lips quite well. He knew Peter was in trouble the moment he saw him mention Tony's name. If Happy were a betting man, he would bet his life savings that Peter was somehow envisioning Tony Stark as being in the same room with him. "Oh, man… don't lose your head now, kid. Just hang in there," Happy said, voicing his thoughts out loud and earning confused looks from the kids who were with him.

No one said anything after that, they just continued to watch and hope that Peter and Morgan would get through this.

* * *

"It's that concoction of drugs," Bruce explained to the others after witnessing Peter's freak-out. He pulled something up on the screen in front of him. "Strange…" he called to the sorcerer. "Take a look at this… Shuri sent this to us. What does that look like to you?"

The doctor stepped forward to look at the same screen Bruce was looking at. "Those things are typically used when one wants to make someone open to persuasion, or to make them more controllable."

Bruce nodded, "Reminds me of something you'd find in truth serum… just to a lesser degree."

"So… they wish to keep the young man immobile, weakened, and easy to manipulate. However, that combination is most definitely bound to cause severe hallucinations and confusion." Dr. Strange told the group.

"But he'll be okay, right?" Pepper asked in concern, clutching May tightly to her side in an attempt to comfort her. Peter's aunt was quiet and pale. She felt frozen in time, perhaps she was going into a state of shock. It was unimaginable that these men could be so cruel to someone so young.

"I'm not sure how much more he can take. If they introduce too many drugs to his system too quickly…" Strange just trailed off without finishing the thought. Everyone knew that the consequences were bad, so he really didn't need to say it out loud.

Bruce saw the look of despair on May's face and tried to offer some hope, "He has the fast metabolism and healing factor. I'm sure we can help him recover."

Everyone nodded, agreeing to hope for the best.

Pepper was just about to say something else, when her attention was drawn to someone else entering the room. It was strange for anyone to get in without FRIDAY notifying them. But once she saw who it was, she understood why the AI wouldn't raise any alarms.

"Oh, hey! The voice called out. "Hello! Remember me? Yes? No?" He pointed to the screen with Peter and Morgan. "Anyone want to tell me why I have to learn that Avenger kids are in trouble on the News? You have a direct line to me, right? I am still a member of this team, right?"

"Clint!" Pepper said. "You didn't need to come." She hadn't meant to be rude. She thought about contacting him, but she just couldn't bring herself to pull him away from his own family.

Clint looked offended nonetheless. "I didn't need to come?" He looked again to the image of Peter and Morgan. "Someone kidnaps your daughter and Spider-Man, and no one thought Hawkeye might be able to help? I'm not retired, you know. I learned my lesson after the last time I tried to retire and the team split over the ! I'm only a call away!"

Pepper reached for him and attempted to explain. "But… your family… they need you. I just didn't feel right asking you to leave them."

Clint looked at her, understanding dawning on his face. Yet, he still felt the need to say, "We're all family here." He grabbed the hand that Pepper had placed on his shoulder. "Nothing could stop me from protecting children, Pepper. We need to look after each other's kids just as much as we need to look out for each other."

She smiled at him. "Thank you, Clint."

Hawkeye stepped back to survey the group. "Where is everyone?" he asked.

"Sam, Rhodey, and Thor are flying around to see if they can find any clues about where Peter and Morgan are being held. They checked in not too long ago… no luck yet," Bucky told him.

"You guys pulled Thor out of space, and couldn't even shoot me a text message? Seriously?" Clint asked incredulously. He looked around the room, "What about Hope and Scott? You have them crawling around here somewhere?"

"Strange portaled Thor in," Steve explained. "Hope and Scott are still in San Francisco. They're unavailable. Something about an accident with some new suits… apparently they're only like a foot tall at the moment. Dr. Pym said they'd be fine, but they're not exactly able to help out at the moment."

He was a little offended that basically everyone was notified except for him and the 'The Guardians of the Galaxy' or whatever that group of aliens were called. He thought about asking about Carol Danvers, the Wakandans, or Wanda, but then thought better of it. It was likely that they already covered those bases, too.

Hawkeye stared at the older man for awhile, lost to his thoughts before saying, "Nope. Never going to get used to seeing you like this." He didn't bother to wait for Steve to say anything else. Instead, he focused back on the task of finding the missing kids. "So… what? Are the others flying all over the country, or do we have some idea where they might be right now?"

"Based on the information that we have, we're focusing mostly on either Maine or New Hampshire, likely near the ocean," Bruce told him.

This time Clint turned to Bruce, studying the big green man. "Nope. Never going to get used to seeing you like this, either." Clint shook his head. "Maine and New Hampshire, huh? Not the biggest states, but that's still a lot of ground to cover. Do we know what this is about?"

"Tony's time-travel technology," Pepper told him.

"And apparently to let the world know just how much they hate all of us," Bucky added.

"Wow...okay. We obviously can't give them access to time travel. What's the alternative?"

"We're working on that," Bruce told him. "They'll only think they have the technology."

"Seems risky," Clint said. "What's our timeline?"

"Tomorrow morning. 9:35 am" Pepper told him.

Hawkeye frowned, "That's an odd time. And very little time for a fake…"

"Heads up…" Bucky said. "Something's happening."

They all looked at the image of Peter and Morgan on the screen. The words, "BE PREPARED TO LEARN THE TRUTH!" scrolled across the video. This was followed by a countdown… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1. Then the live stream cut out and they were left with a blank screen.

"Where'd they go?!" May squealed in concern.

Clint recognized her to be Peter's aunt, having met her briefly at Tony's funeral. "What do you think they mean by 'truth'... I don't get it."

Strange grumbled from the side of the room, "I fear their next actions will be to target the Avengers."

"By doing what?" Steve asked, concern evident in his aged voice.

"Do you think they'll hurt the kids?" Pepper asked worriedly.

Bruce frowned, "I'm afraid we're going to have to wait and find out."

The tension in the room was thick and ominous. They continued to work on EDITH, explaining more of the plan to Clint as they waited with bated breath. They dreaded to see just what would happen to Peter and Morgan next.

* * *

Morgan had cried herself to sleep on Peter's lap. The teenager only managed to sleep for a short while himself. He stroked his hand through Morgan's hair gently, wanting to comfort her and feel something real. He was still stunned by the earlier events. He was afraid that he wouldn't know what was real or fake. It was almost as bad as being in the middle of Mysterio's tricks again.

Motion to his left nearly made him jump out of his skin. As if on cue, Peter was faced with the next hallucination. Just beyond Morgan's sleeping form, leaning his back against the bars like Peter was Tony Stark… eating a popsicle of all things.

He didn't really want to wake Morgan, but he had an urge to talk to the image of his mentor. "Why are you always eating when I see you?"

Tony shrugged, "Why should I know? It's your head… not mine." He took another bite of his popsicle.

"I've gone crazy… I'm completely delusional," Peter said.

"Don't say that, Pete," Tony said, finishing his frozen treat.

"You're hallucinating. Delusions aren't the same as hallucinations. Those are two different things."

Peter just blinked at him, "What happens now?" Even though this version of Tony Stark was a manifestation of his doped-up brain, Peter couldn't help but look to the man for guidance.

"I know I usually have all the answers, kid," Tony told him with a shrug. "But… your guess is as good as mine."

He looked towards the hallway and pointed, "I bet he has the answer."

Peter turned his head to see Justin walking towards him, armor secure over his arms. He wanted to say something else to Mr. Stark, but the man was gone by the time he looked for him again. Justin had a look of determination on his face as he unlocked and entered the cage that was holding Peter and Morgan. Peter assumed he was taking them for another break, but he didn't want Justin to disturb Morgan. "Can't y-you give us a break when she w-wakes up?"

Justin didn't bother to answer. Instead, he grabbed Peter by the shoulders and pulled him roughly to his feet. Poor Morgan dropped to mattress and woke with a start.

"Hmmm? What?" She looked up to see Justin pulling Peter outside of the cell. "Peter!" she cried out to him, pulling herself up to her feet in order to run after him.

Justin threw Peter to the ground and quickly locked the door before Morgan could get out. "You're staying here, little Stark. Peter and I are going to have a chat." With that, Justin reached down and yanked Peter back up by his hair.

Peter grasped at the hand as he was pulled to his feet. His head burned where Justin pulled his hair. It hurt so badly that he was convinced the hair was pulled from his head. He rubbed a hand over his sore scalp to be sure, and was pleased to find that wasn't the case. "Ouhngh!" Peter groaned out. "Wh- what the hell, man?"

"Let's go, Spider-Man," Justin said, pulling him forcefully out of the room. "Time to have a little chat about you and your friends."

Peter looked back at Morgan as Justin pulled him away, hating to leave her alone.

"NO!" the little girl cried, reaching her hand out through the bars as if to grab hold of her older brother. "Please! Peter! Don't leave me! PE-TER!"

Her screams broke Peter's heart, and he couldn't help but to reach back at her as he was dragged around the corner. "It's okay, Morgs!" He called back. "Everything will be okay!"

He could hear her crying, but the sound grew further and further away as Justin continued to force him along. When he was pulled into a room, he saw Will sitting behind a camera. "What is th- this?" Peter dared to question. "I'm n- not 18 yet, so d- don't even th- think that I'm c- consenting to anything rated X. You c- can get y- your jollies s- some-where else," he snarked. He hated how his voice was still weak and shaky. He sounded more like a drunk teenager after a raging party.

He dropped Peter into a chair and said, "Don't flatter yourself, kid." He placed Peter's arms on the side of the chair and began securing them with thick leather straps before doing the same thing with Peter's ankles to the legs of the chair.

"I d-don' know, dude. S- seems a lil' 50 sh- shades if you ask m- me," Peter tried to joke.

"Shut up!" Justin said, standing to his feet and smacking Peter on the head. It wasn't a hard hit… it was really just enough to let Peter know the man was annoyed. For some reason, that just motivated Peter to keep bothering him.

He looked over at the camera in front of Will. "You're n-not even s-set to catch my b-best an-angle. T- take these off and I'll sh- show you," He said, nodding towards the straps holding him to the chair.

"I'd shut up if I were you, Parker," Will called to him. "We're going live soon."

"Live?" Peter asked. "Wh- what the hell are you talkin' about?"

"We've been live streaming all day, Parker," Justin answered. "Didn't I tell you there was an audience?"

Peter was stunned. "B-but who? Aunt May? Pep- Pepper?"

"Sure," Will answered. "Them and the rest of the world."

Peter frowned and shook his head. "Th-that doesn't even m-make sense. Why would you d-do that?"

"Just imagine," Justin said, coming to stand in front of him. "What must the world think of a so-called hero who can't even escape in order to save a little girl from danger? What kind of Avenger is Spider-Man if he plays prisoner with Iron Man's daughter so willingly?"

This time Peter kept his mouth closed and glared at the man. His heart sped up in his chest. They wanted to embarrass him and humiliate the Avengers, and he was helpless to do anything about it. Helpless because he allowed them to drug him so easily. Peter was frustrated with himself. How was it he managed to always screw things up so badly?

Peter pulled his hands into fists, wishing the drugs would leave his system. He yanked at the straps that held his arms and legs in place. He wasn't sure what game these guys wanted to play, but he was pretty sure he didn't want any part of it.

Justin was laughing at him as his father said, "Go ahead, kid. That's perfect. 3… 2...1…"

A red light lit up on the camera and Peter noticed Will give the other man a nod to indicate that they were up and running.

Peter froze for a moment before pulling at the strap at his right arm as hard as he could. _"Come on, Spider-Man… Come on, Spider-Man…"_ he thought.

Justin laughed, "Will you look at this? The little spider is caught in someone else's web."

The strap only budged slightly before Peter had to sit back and catch his breath. He glared at Justin, noticing the man kept himself just out of the camera shot. He apparently had no desire to reveal his identity to the whole world.

"What?" Justin mocked. "Nothing to say? You were so chatty a moment ago."

"I really… R-REALLY hate you," Peter spat out.

"Oh!" Justin put a hand to his heart. "I'm hurt! Spider-Man hates me? Whatever shall I do?" he mocked.

"Is this wh- what we're going to do?" Peter asked. "Let the world l- listen to you enjoy the sound of your own voice?" Peter was happy to notice his own voice seemed a bit stronger, likely something he could attribute to the sudden surge of adrenaline flowing through him.

"Not at all," Justin said, moving towards a table in the corner. "I want the people to hear your voice, Spider-Man."

Peter gulped when he noticed Justin grab a large syringe and turn towards him. Justin moved towards the chair with the syringe in hand, keeping his back to the camera. "Hey, man! I don't suppose that's like y- your insulin shot, is it? If you're a diabetic, you should g-go take care of that. I can wait."

Justin just smiled as he stuck the needle into Peter's arm and used the plunger to send the contents into his already drug-loaded body. "This is all for you, Mr. Parker," he said.

"Ow! Dude!" Peter protested. "Seriously… if you're not drugging my food and water, you're using needles? Did it ever occur t-to you to ask for m-my cooperation nicely? It's c-called manners, man."

"This one's a little different," Justin told him. "It's a larger dose of something that will… let's just say… it will make you willing to tell me anything I want to know."

* * *

"Oh god… please… no!" May choked out when she saw Peter strapped to the chair.

Pepper shook her head back and forth, knowing nothing good would come from this.

"The kid's strong," Bucky told them. "You hear him? He's making jokes. He can handle this."

Strange shook his head sadly. "More drugs will not bode well for him."

"Did you hear that? Katsma just said it would make Peter talk. You think it's a higher concentration of the drugs we discovered earlier? Their own special kind of truth serum?" Bruce asked.

"Everyone stop!" Steve said. "You need to listen. You might get some clues to help you find them."

Clint nodded. "My thoughts exactly… Hey Barnes! See if we can amplify that audio. We should look for any other background noises as well. We can send anything interesting to Rhodes and the others."

"You got it," Bucky said. And with that, the group reluctantly continued to watch and listen carefully. Hoping that Peter would survive this interrogation.

* * *

A wave of dizziness hit Peter and shook his head in an attempt to force himself to focus, but it only made his head hurt even more.

"Do you have any twos?" A woman's voice asked someone.

"Go Fish," someone answered triumphantly.

Peter followed the sound of the voices, only to find Mr. Stark playing cards with the Black Widow in the corner of the room. Great… just great… more hallucinations.

"Do you have any kings?" Tony asked her.

"Damn you," Natasha cursed, reluctantly giving him some cards from her hand.

Peter was so busy (and mildly amused) watching them that he didn't even realize Justin was trying to get his attention until the man slapped him across the face. "Hey… Earth to Peter Parker… FOCUS!" Justin said, snapping his fingers in front of Peter's face this time.

"Wha'?" Peter asked, struggling to concentrate on much right now. He really wanted to see who won the card game, though. So, he looked back in the corner.

"Stop that!" Justin said, grabbing Peter's face and forcing him to look at him. "What are you looking at? Look at me!"

"I… uh… just want to see who's going to win," Peter told him, surprised that he said that out loud.

Justin studied him a moment with a confused look on his face. "Win? What are you talking about?"

Surprising himself yet again, Peter answered his question honestly. "Mr. Stark and Ms. Romanoff are playing cards over there." Peter looked over that way. "I think Mr. Stark is winning, but Ms. Romanoff looks kinda mad." He looked back at Justin. "I'd let her win… do you think Mr. Stark will let her win? Probably not, right? That doesn't really sound like something he would do."

Justin raised up his eyebrows in surprise. "You see two dead Avengers playing a card game… in that empty corner over there?"

Peter nodded his head in confirmation. "I mean… they don't look dead. They look like they're having fun." He looked at Justin. "Maybe we can join them."

The man just slapped his face… hard. "You're seeing things, dumbass! An unfortunate side effect, but at least I know you'll answer my questions."

"Oh…" Peter supposed it made sense. He didn't really want to admit that he was hallucinating, but he told the man exactly what he was seeing.

Uh oh, Hang in there, kid," Tony told him.

"Show no fear, Spider-Man. They feed on fear," Natasha told him.

Peter quickly looked away from them. He didn't really want to get slapped again, especially since Justin still had the armor on his arms. Yep… that would likely leave a mark.

* * *

"He sees Nat and Tony?" Clint asked, making sure he heard the most recent exchange correctly. "And they're playing cards? What the hell kind of drugs are they giving this poor kid?"

May put her head in hands. This whole thing was crazy. Just what did they want from Peter that was worth putting him through all this torment?

* * *

"Let's get to the point, shall we?" Justin asked. "Our audience is tuned in to this primetime event for one reason, Peter. The truth. You're going to tell me everything you know about the Avengers, so that the people can know the truth about those phony heroes once and for all!"

"Huh?" Peter asked. Was there a question somewhere in there he was supposed to answer? Peter tugged at the straps again. "You know… the bad guy tying up the hero and demanding information is a bit cliche, don't you think? There must be a better… ooff." Justin slapped him across the face again.

"The only bad guy here is you, SPIDER-MAN!" Justin said, emphasizing the name of his alter ego. "Now… tell me about the Avengers!"

Peter tried to answer. "Um… Well… there's Colonel Rhodes, Sam Wilson, Wanda…"

"No! We already know _who_ they are!" Justin scrubbed a hand down his face. He changed tactics. "Who was Thanos?"

Peter's stomach churned at the sound of the Mad Titan's name, and an involuntary shudder went down his spine. "Um… he was a bad guy."

"Why did the Avengers bring him here? What did he want from them?" Justin demanded.

"Well… the Avengers didn't bring him here. He was looking for the Infinity Stones. They're like these gemstones that look pretty, but they're really bad news… especially when the power of the stones are all combined." Peter told him.

"Go on…"

"I mean… I don't know as much about them. Only what the others told me. The stones were spread out all over the universe, but there were a couple here on Earth. That's why Thanos came here. He was looking for them."

"The Avengers kept those Stones here knowing that an evil alien creature was looking for them?"

"Umm… kinda."

"Yes or no… did the Avengers keep infinity stones on our planet knowing that Thanos would want them?"

"Uh… I mean… yes, but…"

"Yes! The Avengers used the stones to lore the alien to Earth!" Justin insisted.

"No…" Peter said, frowning. That didn't sound right.

"Did Thanos come to Earth and get the stones?"

"I think so"

"Wouldn't you know? Didn't you fight with them?" Justin pushed.

"Mr. Stark and I were in space with a wizard. We fought against Thanos alongside some nice aliens," Peter told him. He could hardly believe was spilling out all this information. People all over could see and hear him spill out this information!

This seemed to surprise the man. "You were in space?"

"Yeah… Mr. Stark and I hitched a ride on that spaceship that dropped into New York and kidnapped Dr. Strange... the wizard. They wanted him to give them his time stone." Peter said. "It was pretty scary. I don't think I'd visit space again."

Justin shook his head. "So… some of the Avengers were actually guarding the stones? And Thanos still got them?"

"I don't actually know if Dr. Strange considers himself an Avenger. That's not his made-up name, by the way. That's his real name," Peter said..

Over in the corner, Tony smacked a hand to his head.

Natasha was just shaking hers back and forth. Peter wondered what he said wrong.

Justin looked frustrated. "Let's cut to the chase. Thanos got the stones, right?"

"Yes," Peter admitted "I mean… I turned to dust for 5 years, so yeah… he got the stones and used them to wipe out half of the universe. It was not good." Peter looked thoughtful for a moment.

"How did he do it? How could the Avengers let him do it?"

Peter sighed. He wasn't enjoying this, but he couldn't seem to stop himself from telling the story. "He had a special gauntlet thingy that he used to contain the power of the stones. I almost pulled it off of his hand when we challenged him in space!" Peter added in triumph. "But he took it back before I could pull it away. Then I guess he used it and… poof… half of all living creatures dusted away. That was no fun… I can tell you that much."

Justin was curious. "You remember it? I didn't think anyone could remember it."

Peter looked troubled. Natasha and Tony looked concerned, too, he noticed. "It hurt… I felt it… My senses tried to warn me, but I couldn't stop it. I held on for as long as I could… I tried to hold on to Mr. Stark, but…" Peter didn't finish that thought. Justin knew how it ended.

"So…" a wicked smirk appeared on Justin's face. "First, you failed to complete your part of the mission. And then you deal with the consequences by dying slowly. Is that what happened, Parker? You and other members of your team FAILED and then came death!"

Tears began to prick at Peter's eyes. "We tried."

"But did you do your job? Did you save people?" Justin asked.

"We lost," Peter admitted.

"Exactly… the way I see it, the Avengers caused this whole thing. If they hadn't messed with those stones, Thanos wouldn't have gotten them."

"I don't think…"

"AND THEN WHAT HAPPENED?" Justin cut him off. "They wait 5 years… FIVE YEARS! Why?"

* * *

"Oh god, make this stop," Pepper whispered out. She had a bad feeling this interrogation was going in a bad direction.

"He never told me," May spoke quietly. "I… I didn't know he remembered disappearing."

"Do we have anything with the audio?" Bruce asked.

"Nothing," Clint said. "I can only hear the sounds in that room."

"Keep trying," Strange said, never taking his eyes off Peter.

* * *

"I… um… I don't know why they waited. I think it was something to do with the technology. It took them 5 years to figure out how to get everyone back," Peter told him.

"With time travel?" Justin clarified.

"Yes… they traveled back in time to retrieve the stones and build their own gauntlet to get everyone back. They had to use time travel because Thanos destroyed the stones after using them," Peter explained.

"Who figured out the time travel?"

"Mr. Stark did," Peter admitted.

"So… the Avengers lived with their guilt for 5 years before ruining things all over again? Stark had his own life. That little girl out there…" he pointed in the direction Morgan was in. "...why would he risk messing with time with her at home? WHY COULDN'T THEY LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE?"

"I don't kn…"

"Yes you do! Tell us, Mr. Parker. Why would Tony Stark help the Avengers build a time machine?!" the man demanded.

Peter was sweating. "It's… it's complicated.

"No… it's not. There's an answer." Justin walked over to the table again, making Peter fearful of getting more drugs. Instead he picked up pictures from the table. "I think I know, but I want to hear you say it." He walked the pictures over the camera and held them up on by one. I stole these shortly after the Avengers' headquarters was destroyed. With Stark gone, I was able to hack into some of his files. They were picture files, but I found some that were quite interesting.

The pictures that were placed in front of the camera were pictures of Peter and Tony. Pictures that spoke volumes of just how close they had become, including the very picture that Tony had his kitchen. After placing them before the camera, he threw them in Peter's lap.

"I'll ask again," Justin said, his voice menacing. "Why would he risk so much to time travel and bring people back? Why do it when he had so much to lose?"

"I think… I mean... I maybe heard a conversation…"

"Tell me the truth!"

"He missed me, okay?!" Peter shouted. "Ugh… I can't… I can't talk about this anymore… please."

"We're not done. He risked everything… he DIED because he thought he might get you back."

Tears started to drip down Peter's face and he shook his head, "It wasn't just for me…"

"Of course not, but you inspired him, didn't you?" Justin said, receiving only a nod from Peter.

"So… he goes through all that trouble… puts the world through all that trouble… and he dies. Did you see it? Did you see him die?" Justin asked him.

Peter froze. He stared over at Tony and Natasha.

The Black Widow turned to stare at Tony.

She and Peter watched as Tony's right side turned black.

Peter struggled to breathe. He shook his head back and forth.

"Tell the world how their so-called hero died."

"NO! I can't!" Peter cried.

"Were you there?"

"Yes… but…"

"Then tell us!" Justin screamed. When Peter didn't answer, he marched over to the table to grab another syringe. He wasted no time, and plunged it into Peter's neck this time.

Peter cried out in pain, struggling to keep his breath. His breaths were quick and shallow. He looked over at Tony and Natasha again.

Tony's right side was still black, but now his eyes were clouded over with death.

Natasha's eyes went cold as blood dripped from her lips.

Captain America appeared, only to age rapidly and turn to a pile of dust.

Thanos was standing off to the side, with the planet of Titan in the background.

"Please, no! STOP!" Peter squeezed his eyes tightly closed.

"How did he die?" Justin asked.

"He took the stones from Thanos and used them!" Peter cried, keeping his eyes closed. "He couldn't handle the power. No human can withstand it! They destroyed him!" Peter choked. "Oh god… he was so hurt… so badly hurt!" Peter was sobbing now. "I couldn't stop it! I saw it happen, but I couldn't stop it! It should've been me! I heal! I could've done it!"

Justin grabbed Peter's hair and pulled his head up, "Look at me!"

Peter didn't open his eyes.

"LOOK AT ME!"

Reluctantly, Peter opened his eyes. He refused to look back towards the corner.

"You're the reason Iron Man is dead, aren't you?" Justin asked.

"What?" Peter choked out.

"You're the reason that little girl doesn't have a father, aren't you?"

"I… um…"

"You could have removed the first gauntlet, or even used the second one in Stark's place. You didn't! You call yourself a hero? You're a killer!" Justin yelled.

"I…"

"ADMIT IT!"

"I'M A KILLER!" Peter sobbed. "It's my fault! God… it's all my fault!"

Justin let those words hang in the air for awhile. "Got a taste for it, didn't you Spider-Man? You killed Tony Stark… the man who gave everything to get you back. And then you killed Quentin Beck… the man who could take his place."

Peter shook his head violently. "No! No… I DID NOT kill Beck!"

Justin looked surprised. "You can't lie to me… not with all the serum I gave you." He asked again, "Did you kill Mysterio?"

"No!" Peter cried out. "He killed himself! He used drones and other tech to stage the attacks. I figured it out! I confronted him! He ended up killing himself with a bullet he meant to use to kill me. Then, his people used that same technology to make me look like a killer! I… I didn't do it!"

"But you were there and in over your head, weren't you?" Justin challenged.

"But… no… I… I stopped him," Peter said.

"After how many people were hurt and killed?" the man asked.

"I… I don't know."

"That's the problem, Spider-Man! YOU DON'T KNOW! You… the Avengers… you don't pay attention to who gets hurt or killed!" Justin concluded. "You are a prime example of what is wrong with the Avengers! The Avengers fail! They let their own team members die! They let innocent people die! How can we call any of you heroes?!"

Peter just cried. Everything was spinning and the guilt was eating him alive. And it was on display for the world to see.

"I'm not a hero," Peter choked out. "I just… I tried… but… I'm so sorry."

"You're sorry?" Justin

"Yes…" Peter cried.

"Sorry isn't good enough! Sorry doesn't resurrect the dead. You… the Avengers… People are hurt and killed all around you! The world can't trust you. We can't trust any of you! And now the whole world knows that," Justin said.

The light on the camera went out.

"That was great, son," Will called to Justin.

Justin shook his head, "He was supposed to admit to killing Beck." He looked at Peter.

Peter was squirming and sweating in his chair, shaking. He kept looking to the empty corner, seeing phantoms that weren't there. Images formed from his deepest fears; meant to torment him. Peter looked at Justin, "Please… make them go away. Make it stop. PLEASE!"

Justin walked over and stood so that he was staring down at Peter. "Okay… I'll make it stop."

Peter sighed in relief.

"Tomorrow… when you're dead," he stated.

Peter's eyes grew wide with shock, his breathing was unsteady and out of control. As images flashed around him, Peter couldn't take it anymore. As dark spots danced around his eyes, Peter let himself fall into that darkness. He drifted into the safety of unconsciousness. He guilt would be waiting for him once he was awake.

* * *

Back at the new Avengers' HQ, everyone was quiet and shocked. There was not a dry eye in the house.

Pepper activated the comms, "Rhodey… Sam… Thor… do any of you copy?"

"We saw it Pepper," Rhodey answered. "We landed to see what was going on when the original video cut out."

"How's everyone doing there?" Sam's voice asked.

"We're… overwhelmed. Please tell me you found something," Pepper said.

"I am sorry, but I'm afraid we have not yet found anything helpful," Thor's voice came next. "We did talk to some helpful fisherman who mentioned some abandoned storage facilities located along the coastline in Maine."

"Yeah… some old buildings that were once used by shipping companies. We're going to see if we can find them or see anything." Rhodes confirmed.

"Please… keep us informed," Pepper said.

There was a collection of responses, agreeing to notify her of any updates.

Pepper turned to the team, noticing how tired everyone looked. Her mothering instincts kicked in. "We need to rest and eat something. We were at this all day," she told them.

"How could even think about eating?" May asked.

"Our kids need us at our best tomorrow. We'll need to leave early in order to make it to the drop point on time," Pepper said.

Strange nodded, "I think everyone knows what they need to do. We can only hope the others find a location for the children."

"You don't think they intend to tell us where they are, do you?" May asked.

"I don't trust them… no," Strange confirmed.

"We WILL find them," Clint said. He looked at Steve and gave a small smile, "Whatever it takes."

* * *

**A/N: That was harder to write down and much nicer in my head. Hopefully you still enjoyed it. Notice that I'm not going into too much detail for all missing Avengers. Everyone mentioned so far will have a part to play in the rescue attempt, and others we haven't seen too much may pop up to help with the aftermath. Also, I should say I don't know a whole lot about the coastline in Maine or New Hampshire. I'm just making some guesses and taking some creative liberties to make the story work. **

**So... stay tuned to see how the rescue attempt goes. I have it all mapped out, but I'm not sure if I'll finish it tomorrow or not. I'll do my best. In the meantime, reviews are very much appreciated. Love you 3000!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I'm going to go ahead and apologize for this in advance. I'm going to be very mean to Peter, and things are about to get messy. Strap in an hold on tight, my dears. **

**As always, Marvel owns them. **

CHAPTER 8: Rescue?

Pepper tried to settle into a chair in the lounge. She needed the quiet space to think. She doubted she would really sleep, but she needed to at least rest her eyes and try to collect herself. Her daughter needed her to be battle ready, so she needed to do whatever she could to settle her nerves.

Pepper noticed May enter the room. "Mind if I join you?" she asked. "I… um… I don't really want to be alone right now."

Pepper nodded, "Of course. I don't really think I'll be getting sleep anyway. I just… needed a change of scenery, and I'm hoping to settle my nerves a little."

May sighed, "I'm not sure that mine will settle until our kids are back in our arms."

Pepper smirked a bit, "Our kids, huh? Does that mean we're co-parents now?"

May chuckled. Despite the gravity of their current situation, she couldn't help but be amused by the idea of co-parenting with Pepper.

"I actually love the sound of that," Pepper told her.

May chuckled some more, "Careful… those boys out there will get the wrong idea about our friendship."

Pepper leaned back in her chair, shaking her head a little. "Morgan and Peter would be amused… that's for sure."

May sobered after a moment. She had nestled into a chair opposite of Pepper and was studying her friend's tired and weary face. "I'm not sure how I'll ever help Peter recover from this, Pep."

Pepper looked at her, "He must know it's not his fault… what happened to Tony…" Pepper couldn't finish the thought.

May shrugged a little, "He always had a knack for blaming himself for things. It really started when his parents died. Guilt just seems to come naturally to that boy."

"It's just not fair…" Pepper told her.

Before the women could continue their conversation, Clint entered the room. "Sorry to bother you… I know you're trying to rest, but I thought you should see something."

Both women sat up, faces full of concern.

"See what?" May asked.

"Social Media is going nuts right now! People are reacting to what they did to Peter." Clint said.

May frowned, "I'm not so sure I care to see what people are saying." May saw enough social media backlash after the Beck situation. She didn't use social media herself, but Peter showed her plenty.

"Trust me… you do!" Clint insisted.

Pepper and May moved to sit together as Clint handed them a STARKpad. The women began scrolling and reading some posts together.

**Jennifer Haines** _ jenhaines_ \- What the hell did we just watch? Are these guys serious right now? I just want to give Spider-Man a hug. #SpideyIsInnocent

**Henry Jones** _ henryjones_ \- The Avengers pulled off something impossible and saved the universe, man. WTF! What was the point of that? They messing with peterparker right now? Clearly, my man ain't guilty of shit!

**Matt Green** _ themattgreen_ \- Is this staged? What did we just see? Was that for real? #hostagelivestream

**Colleen Smith** _ colleensmith_ \- So confused right now. Does anyone else think peterparker has nothing to be sorry for? What is happening? #NotGuilty #SavePeterAndMorgan

**J. Jonah Jameson** _ jjjameson_ \- FAKE! Not buying this sham for one minute! Nice try peterparker. Spider-Man is still a menace to society. #GuiltyAsCharged

**Ned Leeds** _ guyinthechair_ \- Don't believe this BS for a minute! peterparker is my best friend! He doesn't deserve this! He's innocent and always has been! #SpiderManIsMyHero

**Michelle Jones** _ friendscallmeMJ_ \- jjjameson are you for real right now? You are a special kind of stupid! #SpideyIsInnocent

"These posts are Peter's friends," May said, pointing to the most recent ones.

"Looks like most people are on Peter's side," Pepper said. "I guess that could be a silver lining in all this."

"I don't know…" May said. She looked thoughtful for a moment. "What do you think the Katsmas were hoping to prove with that whole thing?"

Clint spoke up from where he was standing, "I think they expected to make him confess to killing Mysterio. They were trying to lead up to a big finale with his confession, but it never came because he's innocent."

Pepper nodded, "So they just tried to make Peter and the rest of the Avengers look guilty based on how the final battle played out?"

"And the people aren't buying into it. Well… most of them don't seem to be believing it. Jameson will always be a problem," May commented. "I just hope… I just hope they don't take their failed plan out on the kids," she added fearfully.

Pepper paled at the thought. "Oh god… they better not," she agreed.

"If they do…" Clint told them, "...I'll gladly put an arrow through their skulls."

May and Pepper scrolled through a few more posts before handing the STARKpad back to him. He left the room, and the women once again tried to get a little rest before the rescue mission would begin. And each one silently hoped their kids would make it through this.

* * *

Peter awoke to the sound of someone crying. He was so confused. Where was he? Was it somewhere bad? He couldn't really remember. His mind seemed to be playing tricks on him. He had seen all of his worst memories before he blacked out. Guilt… He felt guilt very clearly. It had settled into the deepest parts of his soul, and it made its presence known as soon as he regained awareness. Now… he just needed to figure out who was crying.

He looked down to find Morgan tucked into his side and weeping quietly. He was apparently back in their cage.

"M'gan?" He said her name gently.

The child's eyes burst open. She sniffled and took a couple breaths, "Y-you... you're _*hiccup*_ a-awake! D-did _*hiccup*_ they h-hurt you?" Morgan nodded towards Peter's wrists.

He moved his eyes to look at his wrists and noticed some bruising, likely from trying to pull himself free. Peter should've lied to her, but he was too exhausted. Before he could stop himself, he answered, "a 'lil… yeah."

More tears slipped from the little girl's eyes. She continued to hiccup a little, likely due to crying so hard. "P-please don't let them _*hiccup*_ t-take you from me again. D-don't _*hiccup*_ leave me!"

The guilt that was nestled so deeply inside of his soul only grew heavier. He had left Morgan alone. She had been alone in this god forsaken cage! He failed to stay with her, and she was scared. That was his fault, too. He didn't say anything. Instead, he just looked at her with sorrow-filled eyes.

Morgan looked at him for a moment, but then lowered her eyes and nestled her head into his chest. She wasn't crying as hard, but tears still slipped down her cheeks. She wrapped her arms around him as tightly as she could. "I… I won't let them take y-you again. Not without me!"

It shouldn't have been possible for Peter to feel any more guilt, but he did. What was wrong with him? Would he let a 5-year-old endanger herself like that? Wasn't Peter supposed to be protecting her? What kind of hero was he? Peter shook his head back and forth, but no words came out.

He looked up and swallowed hard. Tony was sitting on the other side of the cell, staring at him. The right side of his face was still blackened and destroyed.

The phantom of Iron Man glared at him and said, "I wanted you to be better."

Peter squeezed his eyes shut. He lowered his head on top of Morgan's and wept. He just couldn't take this anymore. Morgan deserved a big brother that was so much better than him. Perhaps Harley Keener would've been a better choice? Peter supposed that Keener would likely step in as a brotherly figure if anything happened to him. If death came for Peter, he would be ready. Everyone would be better off without him anyway.

* * *

The plan was set by the time morning came. Clint would be taking Steve's place during the exchange. Bruce, May, and Clint would be going to the meeting place to give the Katsmas the 'time travel device.' They planned to arrive first in order to set everything in place. Shuri had upgraded the drones to be virtually undetectable, so the kidnappers shouldn't have any way of knowing the device was fake. They only hoped they could convince them to reveal Peter and Morgan's location before it was too late.

"We should've heard something from Rhodes and the others by now," Pepper said anxiously. "Why haven't they found anything."

Bucky had attempted to contact them multiple times, but they hadn't answered. He tried once more, "Sam? Rhodey? Thor? Does anyone hear me? What's your position?"

Silence hung in the air before the comms crackled. "C… you… 'ear… me?" Rhodey's voice finally came through.

"We can hear you. What's going on?" Bucky asked.

"...'re c...ming back," Thor answered. "... under att'ck. ...there soon."

"Did he say they were under attack?" Steve asked in concern.

"Do you think it was Wilbur and Justin Katsma?" Pepper asked.

A few of them made their way to the roof to greet their friends, wanting to find out what happened. Before long, Thor and Rhodes were landing on the roof with an injured Sam Wilson between them.

"What the hell happened?" Clint asked. "Did the kidnappers see you coming?"

"I'm afraid we didn't get that far," Thor answered. "We ran into other trouble."

Bruce and Strange took hold of Sam, leading the injured man inside as the others followed behind. Rhodes told the rest of the story. "We found one of the old shipping facilities. Our scanners showed people inside, so we thought perhaps we found them. But… it was apparently some idiot group of militia. We found their hideout, and they fired on us. They had EMPs that damaged our comms. Sam's suit shut down and he dropped out of the sky. Tony put safeguards on my suit, but I couldn't quite catch Sam in time. I broke his fall a little, but I think he still has some broken bones."

"So… it wasn't the Katsmas? And we still have no idea where my children are?" Pepper asked, sounding completely despaired. It was lost on the others that she referred to both children as her own, but they let it slide. It seemed like Pepper was becoming more and more possessive of Peter as time went on. Blood wasn't important. He was Morgan's brother in every other way that counted. That made him one of her own… at least in her heart.

"I am sorry," Thor said. "We needed to come back and regroup."

"We need to get back out there," Pepper said. "I'll go back out there."

"You'll take Thor with you," Strange said. "He needs to go with you."

"What you talking about now, Strange?" Rhodes asked.

"It's why I brought him here… as I said before, I saw flashes of the future. I believe it to be of great import that he is there to save the children, even if I know not why," he explained briefly.

Pepper got in the sorcerer's face, "What else did you see? Do you know where they are? ANSWER ME!"

"I know not of their location," Stephen answered, and, to his credit, he looked sad at the admission. "I can only say… that…" he hesitated. "I saw Thor enter the bloody water."

Pepper looked frightened, "... and then?"

"I don't know," Strange told her. "I'm sorry… I did not see what comes next."

"Pepper…" Rhodes said, getting her attention. "I won't be able to go with you. While my suit had safeguards, there's still damage. You and Thor go and look at the last locations… one of them HAS to be it, but please… be careful."

Pepper nodded and turned back to Strange when he spoke again.

"I am unable to portal to the children without knowing their location. When you find them, I will open a portal to your location immediately."

She nodded, "I have a bad feeling that we'll be in need of a doctor."

Thor added, "You'll know the instant we find them."

May had stayed down with the others. Pepper looked at Clint, "Tell May that Thor and I are off to continue searching."

"I will," he answered, already moving to deliver the message.

"And Clint!" Pepper called to him. When he turned back she said, "Be careful."

He nodded and continued to move to find Peter's aunt.

Rhodes took Sam towards the medbay, with Strange close beside him.

Bruce looked at Bucky, "We're going to need to leave soon. You stay here with Strange. Maybe you can help them out once that is portal open."

Bucky nodded, "You got it. I'll wait here with Steve and Dr. Strange. We'll be checking in, so let us know if you guys need anything."

"We will," Bruce confirmed. He moved to join up with Clint and May, wanting to pack up and get on the road.

Bucky watched him leave before moving towards the medbay, wanting to make sure Falcon was alright.

* * *

Peter must have either passed out or fallen asleep because he was startled awake when Justin and Wilbur opened up their cage.

"Get up!" Will ordered. "Time for a change of scenery."

Morgan whimpered and clutched to Peter.

"Get up!" Justin repeated, echoing his father's order.

Peter stood shakily to his feet, helping Morgan get up with him. The little girl was clutching tightly to his side.

"Now walk!" Justin ordered. "Both of you. Follow our directions and no one gets hurt!"

Peter stepped forward with Morgan. Both children complied in an attempt to keep the other one safe. Justin and Wilbur followed closely behind. Justin was armed with the devices sold to him by Toomes, using them to occasionally give Peter a rough shove from behind.

"Down the hall!" Will ordered.

Peter and Morgan listened, holding on to each other each step of the way.

"Turn right and stop at the door!" Will ordered again.

They each listened, stopping at a closed door. From this position in the hall, Peter thought he smelled salt water. Were they near the ocean?

Will stepped ahead of them and opened the door. As it opened, Peter and Morgan were greeted by the sound of ocean waves and the smell of an ocean breeze. The sounds should have been soothing, but instead they just seemed ominous and foreboding.

"Outside!" Justin called from behind, once again giving Peter a shove.

As they stepped out, some part of Peter's brain told him to run, or to get Morgan to run. However, Peter's body was too weary to comprehend anything his brain… or even his senses… tried to tell him. Instead, he just listened to the instructions he was given. He felt completely broken… he just had to hold it together long enough to keep Morgan safe.

"Follow these steps… keep going until you hit sand," Will commanded.

"No funny business or you die right here!" Justin told them.

Peter and Morgan continued forward. The smell of the ocean air filled Peter's senses, and it was nearly overwhelming. They followed some steps until their shoes hit sand. The small granules immediately spilled into their shoes, causing Morgan to fuss a little.

"Turn left and move towards the pier," Will told them.

And here Peter froze, pulling Morgan to a stop next to him. Straight ahead was a rickety old pier. Underneath the pier was what looked like the same cage from the van they arrived in, and it already had ocean waves sliding up to it. The tide was moving in.

"What is this?" Peter asked, daring to turn and look at Justin.

"What does it look like?" Justin asked, pushing Peter in an attempt to keep him moving.

"It looks like a death trap!" Peter argued. He looked at Morgan, realizing too late that his blunt admission only served to scare her.

Justin stepped into Peter's face, grabbing him by the shoulders roughly. He squeezed so hard that Peter could feel the bruises blooming on his skin, but he never took his eyes off those of his tormentor. He wanted answers, and he needed to get Morgan to safety. "That's because it is… it's YOUR death trap, Spider-Man. Your guilt has brought you the death penalty…" he nodded to the cage. "... it's time for you to get EXACTLY what you deserve! It's time for the Avenger's to know what's it's like to feel the consequences of our actions this time."

Morgan once again clutched tightly to Peter, crying. Peter looked down at her before moving his eyes back up to Justin. "Not her! She's innocent. You want me? Fine… I'm guilty. But you need to let her go!"

Justin just stared at him. "Please!" Peter begged. "You want me dead? Fine! Not her!"

"No!" Morgan whimpered. "You're not s-supposed to l-leave me again."

Peter looked down at her, "It'll be okay, Morgs. You need to trust me." He looked at Justin again. "Not her… please!"

Justin looked towards his father and then back at Peter. "Sure… but only if you're a good little spider and KEEP WALKING!"

Peter nodded, turning to meet his fate once and for all.

"NO!" Morgan cried out, digging her heels into the sand and tugging on Peter's hand to stop him. "NO! I won't let you!"

Will moved and scooped the girl up, throwing her over his shoulder. Peter flashed back to how this all started… when the man had done the same thing before putting her in the van.

"Move!" Justin ordered with a shove.

Peter continued to walk towards the small cage beneath the old pier, trying to ignore Morgan's pleas for him to stop. He would do this for her. They would take her back to Pepper, and he would take this punishment for himself.

Before long, he was ordered to enter through the open door. Water was beginning to run over the bottom, the waves moving in and out. Peter went inside, needing to squat down as he entered the shorter space. He turned to look back at the men; Will still held a struggling Morgan over his shoulder.

"Good boy," Justin said, before giving his father room to toss Morgan inside with him.

"No! Wait!" Peter protested. He moved to helped Morgan up as the men shut the door and locked it. "You said you'd let her go!"

Justin smirked from outside. "I lied," he taunted.

"No… no! You can't do this!" Peter yelled.

"Oh yeah?" Will said. "Watch us."

Morgan gripped Peter tight, crying softly in fear.

Justin stepped to the side and activated a switch. Peter and Morgan jumped as a pulley they hadn't noticed started lifting the cage. They yelped in surprise as they were dropped to what had been the back of the cage. Soon the back became the bottom as the once long and short cage was now tall and narrow. The door to get out became wedged under the bottom of the pier as it was turned to stand on end. Peter and Morgan once had to sit, but they were now standing. Or rather, Peter had barely enough room to stand. He had to keep his head down or his knees bent to fit.

"What the hell?!" Peter said. "What are you doing?"

Justin pointed towards the door to get out. "Guess you won't get that door open, Spider-Man. Not with it wedged under the bottom of the pier" He pointed to the once vertical bars of the short cage that had become horizontal since the cage was now upended. "Guess you'll have to try to pry these apart to get out. How's the strength coming, by the way?" he taunted.

He hadn't been drugged that morning, but Peter's body was still feeling the effects of the drugs from the night before. How much time had passed? What time of morning was it anyway? Peter's heart was pounding in his chest. In a sudden surge of anger and desperation, Peter stepped forward to pull on the bars.

Will and Justin laughed… at least until the bars started to squeak and bend slightly in Peter's hand.

"Son of a bitch!" Justin spat, grabbing a piece of rebar that had fallen off the pier. "Why do you have to be such a pain in the ass?"

Peter was so distracted as he tried to make a space for Morgan to get out, that it was too late to listen to what his senses were trying to tell him.

He heard Morgan give a blood-curdling scream as Justin thrust the rebar through the cage. At first, Peter wasn't sure what had happened. He released the bars as his strength suddenly left him. The sounds around him seemed to grow distant as the sound of his own heartbeat grew louder in his ears. Peter gasped, unsure of why it was suddenly difficult to breath. He stumbled back until his body hit the opposite side of the cage. Slowly, Peter looked down only to realize that Justin had used the armor on his arms for enough strength to skewer Peter through the stomach with the piece of rebar.

The sounds that had left so suddenly seemed to come flooding back. Morgan's screams. Will's laughter. Justin's angry words. "You just couldn't sit back and die, could you?" Justin said angrily. "We had to make this more complicated, huh?" As he spoke, Justin had walked around the cage until he was standing behind Peter. He grabbed the bloody piece of metal that was sticking out from Peter's midsection and used it to pull Peter even closer to the side of the cage.

Peter thought he would throw up. The pain was hitting him with a sudden intensity. He coughed… only to see blood spill from his mouth and onto his shirt. Morgan cried harder, looking completely lost as she watched Peter struggle.

Justin was behind Peter. He then maneuvered himself so that he was whispering right in the young man's ear from behind. "Let's see you get out of this one, Spider-Man," he growled. As he said it, Justin used the strength of the mechanical arms to bend the rebar from where it stuck out of Peter in the front and back.

Peter screamed, and Morgan cried impossibly harder.

Justin bent the metal until it was a circular ring that held Peter in place to the side of the cage. Satisfied, Justin once again walked around so that he could inspect Peter from the front.

Morgan had shrunk herself into a ball at the bottom; her head was tucked down on her knees as if to hide herself from the horror. Peter had used his hands to reach and grab onto a bar by his head. He could feel how his legs wanted to give out beneath him, but he needed to hold on so that the metal through his body wouldn't rip him apart if he fell. This was bad enough. He didn't want Morgan to see him do anymore damage to himself. With everything he had, Peter forced himself to breath and stay upright.

Justin and his father just laughed. Nothing about this was funny, and yet they were laughing at him. Peter lifted his head to stare at them, hoping to let them see how much he hated them for this. He never wanted anyone to be dead more in his life. He wanted these men to die! Not for what they were doing to him, but for how much pain they were causing Morgan by hurting him.

"So… what do you think will kill them first, dad?" Justin asked, almost casually. "The cold or the drowning?"

"Hmm…" Will answered. "I think Parker will die of blood loss and the brat will freeze and drown."

Peter coughed and gasped at the thought. He couldn't let that happen to Morgan. "I...I… really h-hope the Avengers k-kill you for this!" Peter managed to gasp out.

Will and Justin began to walk away before answering, "They won't be able to… they'll help us escape to another time before they even get the chance. They think they're going to save you when they give us their time travel device. Too bad the high tide will be in by then!"

"Have a nice swim!" Will called.

The father and son laughed as they left the beach, leaving Morgan and Peter to be drowned by the cold ocean water coming in with high tide.

Peter groaned and coughed. The water was already coming up to his ankles and it was cold. He reached down towards the metal encircling his midsection and holding him in place. He could feel his powers desperately fighting their way back. His rapid healing only closing his flesh to the metal as it was unable to stitch his flesh back together. The metal was keeping him from bleeding out, but it would likely kill him if he didn't get help soon. Peter looked to see that Morgan was still balled up in the corner with her head down. Too much water was already coming in and splashing around her small body.

"M-M-Morgan," Peter stuttered out, wheezing slightly. "Y-you 'ave to g-get up. P-please."

The little girl shook her head back and forth, refusing to leave her spot or look at him.

"Y-you'll freeze. Pl-please. It's okay…" he decided to stretch the truth. "...I have healing powers, remember. I'll be f-fine," He coughed up a little more blood, glad that she wasn't yet looking. "It on-only looks b-bad."

Morgan slowly lifted her head to look at him. Her eyes widened when she saw the metal through his stomach, and Peter was pretty sure he saw her gag at the sight. It was probably good they hadn't eaten anything yet, or Peter was pretty sure she would've thrown up completely.

"I'm g-gonna heal M-Morgan… 't's f-fine," he lied again.

Tears fell down her face and she said nothing. She took a few breaths before turning away from him, clutching at the bars, and yelling for help. "HELP! SOMEBODY! P-PLEASE! MOOOOMMMMMYYYY! HELP US!" Morgan screamed so loudly that her voice cracked. The poor girl was desperate for someone to come save them..

It was so loud that Peter's sensitive ears flinched at the noise. "M-Morgan! St-stop… please! L-listen to me."

The little Stark struggled to control her breathing as she reluctantly turned back to him.

"You n-need to breathe okay? Y-you can't p-panic. D-deep breaths."

She nodded.

"B-breathe in 2...3...4"

Morgan was breathing in and following Peter's guidance.

"Out 2...3… 4. G-good. K-keep breathing j-just like th-that." Peter turned his head to the side and coughed. Talking didn't feel great at all, but he had to help Morgan stay calm. If she passed out, she could die in the cold water.

Morgan continued to breath as Peter taught her, even as she watched him with a fearful expression.

Peter shifted uncomfortably, waiting for Morgan to be calm. He closed his eyes and breathed through his own pain as he waited for her.

"D-don't cl-close your eyes!" Morgan pleaded, fearful that Peter was dying in front of her.

While she wasn't entirely wrong, he wasn't dead yet. He opened his eyes and gave her a sad look. "I'm s-sorry, Morgs." He tried to smile at her. "Y-you're mom warned u-us to st-stay out of th-the w-water." Peter was beginning to shiver. No! The shock couldn't set in… not yet. He urged his super-strength and powers to somehow overcome the damage done to his body. Morgan needed him if she was going to survive.

Morgan looked down at the water. "Why is it g-getting higher?" she asked, innocently.

Peter swallowed through another wave of pain, "I-it's g-gonna d-d-do that… g-get higher." Peter looked at how the now horizontal bars seemed to form a ladder. "M-Morgan… climb up th-the s-side. Y-you need t-to get your f-feet out of the c-cold water."

Morgan reluctantly followed his directions, clutching on tightly as she pulled herself up and out of the slowly rising water. "What are you gonna do?" She asked in concern.

Peter hadn't really figured that out yet. He looked down to see the tops of his feet were covered and the waves were bringing the water up to ankles and lower calves. It was so cold, but Peter would withstand it for Morgan. "I'll be fine. Super powers, remember?" he lied again.

She looked at him doubtfully. "Why did they h-have to hurt y-you? Wh-what are we going t-to do, Peter?"

He had some ideas, but he would wait to see if help came first. If it didn't come... he was going to pull himself free, yank apart the bars enough for Morgan to squeeze herself through, tell her to climb, and then tell her to get to the top of the pier. He didn't much care about what happened to him. Her life was the only one that really mattered.

* * *

It seemed like an eternity for May, Bruce, and Clint to reach the location of the coordinates sent to them. They were relieved to arrive before the Katsma men, and began to set up their phony time travel device.

"Please tell me this will work," May said to them once everything is in place.

Clint shrugged. "It should… although, I still think we should just kill the assholes as soon as their within firing range of one of my arrows."

"They have to tell us where the kids are!" May argued. "What if Pepper and Thor can't find them? What if Shuri was wrong about the area to search in?"

Bruce shrugged, looking like he was trying to ease some tension through his shoulders. "We wait for them to talk, and then we kill them." A silent understanding seemed to pass from one Avenger to the other. These idiots clearly messed with the wrong people. May shuddered a little, happy that the Avengers were on her side.

A van approached, and May recognized it as the one from the video. "Do you think maybe they have Peter and Morgan with them?" she asked hopefully.

"That's not what they made us believe they would do, but…" Bruce tapped at a STARKpad he was holding, checking to see how many heat signatures were in the van. "...no … it's just them."

The three watched as the men stopped the van and exited with caution.

The older man, Wilbur, gave a whistle when he saw them. "Will you look at that, son? They sent the big guns…" he said, looking at Professor Hulk. He turned his eyes to Hawkeye, "... and the little guns! Ha!"

Clint scowled, "I'd be careful about who you choose to insult!"

Justin came around to the front of the van, holding a gun. "No funny business, Hawkeye! Or you'll never know where to find the brats!"

Will's eyes landed on May. "I recognize you… you're Spider-Man's pretty little aunt. How nice of you to join us here."

"Cut the shit!" May said. "Take your device, and tell me where the kids are!"

"Feisty!" Will commented. "I like that!"

"You heard her…" Bruce cut in. "Let's get on with this already!"

"Fine," Justin said. "Hand it over."

Bruce motioned towards a platform he set up, "You'll need to stand there." He held up fake versions of the hand devices. "These will help you navigate through time. We set up a demonstration. It will take you back to July of 2015."

They picked the date because of pictures they found of the Katsma family at the beach around the fourth of July of that year. They set up an illusion for them to feel like they were traveling back to witness that vacation, and they would pull them out of the illusion before they could attempt to interact with anyone they knew.

"Sounds lovely," Will commented. "Give us the devices! Wait!"

Bruce was going to step forward to hand them over, but the older Katsma stopped him.

"Let her do it," he motioned towards May.

"Oh for Heaven's sake," May grabbed the devices and stepped forward. She practically threw them into the man's waiting hands. "Grow a pair, will ya?"

"What the hell did you just say?" Justin asked, stepping forward to defend his father.

Clint had pulled his bow and arrow faster than anyone could imagine. "Don't even think of taking another step towards Mrs. Parker, asshole. Go on your little trip across time… we don't have all day."

Justin scowled, but stepped back, taking one of the devices from his father as he did so.

May returned next to the two Avengers, and Clint lowered his weapon.

"Walk over there," Bruce instructed. The men listened. "Those devices go over the back of your hand… yep… just like that. The date is dialed into the top… you'll see it displayed on your hand."

"We see it," Will said. "Now what?"

"I send you on a test run," Bruce answered, pressing a button on the STARKpad.

Images came to life. May, Bruce, and Clint were cloaked from the view of the Katsma men, but they could see the looks on their faces as they bought into the illusion around them. The tiny drones brought to life a scene of a vacation. May almost felt bad when she saw Wilbur Katsma look longingly at his wife and daughter… almost. Those women deserved better than this monster. Bruce waited awhile, allowing the men to buy into the illusion. Just as Justin seemed to be walking towards his sister in an attempt to talk to her, Bruce pulled them 'back to the present.'

"I wasn't ready!" The man protested.

"That's all you get," Clint spat out at him. "Now you know it works. Where the hell are Peter and Morgan?"

"Not so fast!" Will said. "How do we use these on our own?"

Bruce hesitated a moment before answering, "You turn the dial on your hand to set the date. There's a switch to the side that will bring you back to the same time you left." He lied, but they didn't need to know how the real time travel worked.

Justin and Wilbur turned their dials, selecting a date in the past. They looked at each other with triumph.

"So where are they?!" May demanded.

Justin looked up with a sick smile on his face, preparing to activate the time travel with his father. They thought they were going to be able to run. They would be wrong, but they hoped to get the information they needed before these men learned the truth. "It's well past 9:35 now…"

"What's with the odd time?" Clint dared to ask. "You GPS give you that as your arrival time or something?"

Justin smiled bigger, "Nope… that's high tide. Peter and little Morgan are trapped under a pier outside of Biddeford, Maine. I'm quite certain they've been under water for some time now. You'll have to wait for the tide to go out, but then their bodies are all yours! You'll have to be careful of the rebar I used to skewer Spider-Man in place, though. That could get messy."

May gasped, and her knees buckled.

The men attempted to use the fake devices to escape… but went nowhere.

"What the…" Justin started to let out a curse, but never finished the sentence. Instead, an arrow embedded itself in his skull, having gone right through his left eye. He dropped to the ground instantly.

"NO!" Will shouted. He went to move towards his son, but Professor Hulk came up next to him. Bruce let out the more savage side of himself and lifted the older man above his head. "Wait!" was all the man said before Hulk smashed his head to the ground, breaking his neck instantly.

Peter and Morgan's tormentors were dead.

May was on her knees, clutching her hands over her mouth in an attempt to quiet her own cries. Her eyes were tightly closed as she had no desire to see the dead men before her. Clint and Bruce came to kneel beside her, each laying a hand on her shoulders. She shook her head, "It can't be true. Please tell me Morgan and Peter aren't dead."

Clint blinked away his own tears that threatened to fall. He stood and activated the comm in his ear, "Someone tell me we found Peter and Morgan! Justin and Wilbur are dead. They told us they left them to die! Hello? Someone talk to me! Do we have Morgan and Peter?!"

* * *

_*Back under the pier… just before the tide was the highest*_

Morgan was as high as she could get, clinging to the top of the cage. The water was above Peter's waste and barely covering the metal that was holding his body captive. No help had arrived and Peter couldn't wait any longer. As the waves rolled in and out, some bigger ones were already splashing the top. Morgan was already too wet, and the water would cause he to freeze to death. Frankly, Peter was surprised that he wasn't completely frozen. He thought perhaps he should be, and he noticed that he couldn't really feel his feet anymore. However, his determination kept him alive for Morgan.

He had a plan. He needed to get Morgan out through the bars on the side of the cage that was opposite to him. That side was closest to beams and cross beams that were holding up the old pier. If Morgan could climb to the outside, she could grab onto the beams and climb up the railing to the top. The only problem was that he couldn't exactly reach the opposite side. He would have to pull himself free, and that was going to SUCK.

"M-Morgan," he shivered. "I n-n-need y-you to cl-close your eyes f-for a little. W-wait for me t-to t-t-tell you to open th-them."

Morgan clutched to the top. She was shivering and focused on holding on. She simply shook her head in confirmation and closed her eyes. "Wh-what's h-happening?"

"J-Just k-keep them cl-closed… no m-matter wh-what you h-h-hear," Peter told her, earning a whimper from the little girl in response. Peter took a few breaths and prepared himself for the pain that was coming. "Come on Spider-Man," he whispered to himself, mustering up every ounce of strength that he had. Peter grabbed the metal that was twisted into a ring. "Come on Spider-Man," he whispered again. And Peter pulled at the ring, letting out a pained groan. He didn't stop until the piece sticking out in front of him was mostly straight. As he worked on the piece sticking out of the front of his stomach, his groans finally turned into a scream.

"Wh-what are you d-doing?!" Morgan yelled at him. She hadn't listened. She opened her eyes and was staring at Peter in shock.

Peter was fighting to stay conscious. He breathed through the pain and looked up to focus on Morgan. He looked at her with determination and answered, "I'm g-getting you ou-out!"

The little girl shook her head, knowing somehow that this was not going to end well for her beloved older brother. "D-DON'T!"

Peter didn't listen he wedged his fingers around the bars above his head. He tried to get the piece of metal behind him to come through the bars. He knew it would be better to keep it in, but it was stuck on the bar behind him. So, he clutched the bars tighter. He let the metal behind his back hold fast to the bar behind his back. He used the hands above his head to hold onto the bars, and pulled his body forward, attempting to unskewer himself. The pain was unbearable and Peter screamed as he pulled himself free.

"STOP!" Morgan called to him.

But Peter didn't stop. He continued to fight the pain and pull himself free. He thought the feeling of disintegrating into dust was bad. This was probably a thousand times worse. He continued to encourage himself in his mind, _"Come on, Spider-Man! Come on, SPIDER-MAN!"_ After what felt like an eternity, Peter's body surged forward and away from the metal. Peter's relief at being free lasted only a moment. He looked down to find the water around him red with his own blood, and his vision was dipping in and out just like the waves entering and exiting the cage. It was coming in very high now and was at the top of his chest.

"PETER!" Morgan called to him in concern, likely upset at the sight of so much blood in the water. His blood.

He had to work very fast. His adrenaline was pumping… which only meant he could bleed out faster. Peter quickly grabbed the bars up near Morgan and pulled with every bit of strength he had left. His body hurt and his arms shook with the effort as the bars gave way. He was pretty sure he felt his arm muscles tearing as he pulled. It was too much. The strain was too much for his body. Yet… that didn't matter, Morgan would NOT drown today. With one final push of effort, the bars were far enough apart for Morgan to get through… or so he hoped.

"G-go!" He told her. The waves were splashing above his head. The little girl was already too wet and too cold. She had to go!

"I c-can't!" she whined.

"Y-y-you c-can! I n-need h-help, M'gn! G-get m-me 'elp!" Peter told her. He was fading fast, and asking her for help was the only way he knew to make her listen.

Morgan finally uncurled herself and began squeezing through the bars. She almost got stuck at one point, but Peter gave her a little push to help her through. The little girl was a master at climbing trees, so this didn't feel so different. She had a mission to get Peter help! She pushed past how cold she felt and used everything she had to climb. She grabbed some beams and used her legs and feet to push herself off the cage and up higher. She then reached for the railing above her head. She almost slipped on the slippery wood, but she managed to push herself up. She climbed to the top of the railing and swung her legs over before dropping to the deck in exhaustion. She lay on her back for a few moments to catch her breath.

The little girl's eyes burst open when she remembered her mission. She stood up and leaned over the railing, trying to see the cage that still had Peter inside.

Peter was so relieved to see Morgan climb to freedom. The water around him was so cold, but it didn't seem to hurt anymore. The cold eased his pain away. The water wrapping itself around him seemed now to be strangely comforting. He thought perhaps he heard Morgan calling for him, letting him know she was getting help. He knew help would come too late, but he had already made peace with this. Peter let his body sink down in the icy water. The sounds around him became muffled beneath the waves. The last thing Peter knew before allowing himself to drift away completely, was the sound of thunder crashing overhead.

In the water beneath the pier, all was still. The waves consumed the cage beneath, carrying Peter's blood further in with the tide.

* * *

**A/N: I'm going to go hide now. I have no idea where I come up with these crazy ideas. Poor Peter just takes a beating as a result of my twisted creativity. So... Is this a death fic? Will Peter be reunited with Tony in the after-life? Another funeral at the cabin with Avengers assembled? Stay tuned to find out! Reviews are welcome and appreciated! I'll be back to wrap this up soon.**

**Love you 3000! **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry for the delayed update! I'm in the middle of job searching and interviews. Without further delay... here we go!**

**Marvel stills owns them all... just in case you were wondering.**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Don't Go Towards the Light**

Morgan was leaning over the railing, desperately calling out to Peter. He wasn't answering her, and that fact sent shivers throughout her already cold body. She needed to find help, and she needed to find it NOW! The little girl turned and started sprinting towards the end of the pier calling, "Can anyone hear me?! Help! I need help!"

She instinctively dropped down and covered her head with her arms when lighting and thunder suddenly crashed down in front of her. She didn't lift up her head until she heard a familiar *thunk* from a suit of armor as it landed.

Morgan looked up to see her mother removing her Rescue helmet and running towards her, "MORGAN!" she called out, relief clearly evident on her face.

Morgan stood quickly, running to her mother as fast as her shaking legs would carry her. She knew the other man was an Avenger, but she couldn't quite place him at the moment. She was more focused on getting to the safety of Pepper's outstretched arms. "MOMMY!" she called, throwing herself into Pepper's arms as she cried.

"Oh my baby!" Pepper cooed, rocking her back and forth a little. "You're so cold… it's okay… I'm here… I'm right here."

Thor scanned the area in search of Spider-Man. He glanced at Pepper and her daughter, and noticed just how much the young Stark was shaking. He quickly removed his cape and wrapped it around the shaking girl. He knelt down next to her as Pepper continued to speak soothing words in her ear. With a gentle hand on her shoulder to get her attention, he asked, "Child… where is young Peter? I do not see him."

Both Pepper and Morgan seemed to snap back to reality at the question. Their happy reunion delayed Morgan from delivering her message to get Peter help. "Peter!" Morgan squealed. "H-he's trapped! And hurt! Bad!"

At about this time, Pepper heard Clint's familiar voice come over the comm, _"Someone tell me we found Peter and Morgan! Justin and Wilbur are dead. They told us they left them to die! Hello? Someone talk to me! Do we have Morgan and Peter?!"_

Thor stayed focused on the young girl in front of him. They were both left to die, so Thor knew Peter's situation couldn't be good. "Where is he?" Thor asked, trying to be patient with the traumatized child.

Pepper spoke into the comm, "Standby… we have Morgan, but we still have to get Peter." Pepper turned to her daughter, hoping to help Thor get the information that he needed. "Where is he trapped, Morgan?" Pepper echoed, trying to coax her daughter gently to provide more information.

"Under here," Morgan said, pointing down at the pier. "Please… h-help him! He got me out, b-but he was t-too big to get th-through."

Pepper scooped Morgan up and she and Thor quickly ran to the edge to look down underneath of the pier. "Is that?" Pepper asked, noticing that there seemed to be red leaking out from underneath the deck.

"It is…" Thor confirmed. Without wasting anymore time, the God of Thunder dove into the waters below. As an Asguardian, the cold water didn't impact him in the same way it would a Midguardian. He let his eyes adjust under the water and looked for signs of Peter. He felt his heart drop to his stomach at the sight of the young man bleeding at the bottom of a cage filled with the cold ocean water. Thor burst forward. How long had Peter been under this water? How badly was he hurt? The Asguardian didn't have time to worry about those questions at the moment, he needed to get the young man out! Thor didn't waste anytime; he opted to pull the entire cage free and began to drag it to the shore.

Pepper and Morgan felt the pier shake as Thor yanked the cage loose. "Wh-what's happening?" Morgan asked her mother.

"It's okay, baby," Pepper soothed. "Thor will get him out."

Pepper watched the waters below. Thor surfaced, dragging a large cage behind him and was moving towards the shoreline. Pepper clutched Morgan even tighter and moved to meet him on the sand.

As soon as Thor pulled the cage high enough onto the sand, he ripped off the door and pulled Peter out as gently as he could. Thor was horrified to see the state Peter was in. He had a stab wound to his midsection, his body was terribly cold, and he didn't appear to be breathing. "Young Peter!" Thor spoke to him. "You must not give up your fight now! Not when we're so close!"

"Thor?" Pepper called to him. She placed Morgan down on the sand, assuring her that she was only going to help Thor with Peter. As Pepper walked closer, she couldn't help the gasp that escaped her lips. Peter looked dead. He was far too still and far too pale. "Oh my god… Thor… is he?"

Thor placed an ear to Peter's chest. "I do not hear a heartbeat."

Pepper jumped to the young man's side and immediately started chest compressions. "We need Dr. Strange!" she told the Asguardian.

Thor immediately tried to activate his comm, only to find it had been damaged when he entered the water. Pepper seemed to recognize the problem. "You take over," she told Thor. The God of Thunder continued compressions as Pepper contacted the sorcerer. "Strange! We need you at our position! NOW!"

_"What the hell is happening?"_ Clint's voice asked, clearly frustrated to be out of the loop. _"May's going crazy over here. Is it Peter? Why do you need Dr. Strange?"_

Morgan jumped a little when golden sparks appeared nearby and opened up a portal. Bucky and Strange stepped through, surveying the scene in front of them.

"Shit, kid," Bucky cursed in disbelief. He wasn't sure what he had expected to find, but he was pretty sure this wasn't it.

Strange immediately joined the others, taking in Peter's current state. "This is far worse than I expected… we need to move him… we won't revive him here."

"Is there a team ready at headquarters?" Pepper asked anxiously.

"I'm sure we can…" Strange started, only to be interrupted by Barnes.

"We need to get him to Wakanda," the White Wolf said. "Shuri and her team will know what to do."

Strange looked thoughtful for a moment, "I believe the soldier is right." He immediately opened up a new portal. "Thor… help us move him. We need to hurry!"

* * *

Shuri's morning had been moving along quite nicely. Her brother had finally settled things at the border with the help of the Scarlet Witch. The young woman had come to reside in Wakanda in order to see the place where Vision's body had been laid to rest. They women became friends, so when the borders of Wakanda were threatened, the Avenger was happy to lend a hand.

Shuri startled when golden sparks made way for people to step into her lab. "Hey!" She protested. "Who told you that you could just burst in here like this, eh?"

"We need your help," the sorcerer said, making room for Thor and Bucky to bring the injured young man inside. He didn't want to waste any time with small talk or explanations.

_"Someone tell us what's going on right now!"_ May's voice came over the comm this time.

Strange opened another portal, and Shuri watched as even more people flooded into her lab. Shuri, however, turned her attention to the White Wolf and God of Thunder as they were trying to gently carry someone.

"He needs your help," Bucky told her.

"You bring me another broken white boy to fix?" Shuri asked him. She froze when she realized just who this was. She recognized Peter from the video footage. "How long has he been like this?" the princess asked, clearly concerned.

At about that time, May finally caught sight of Peter's condition. She had been a little disoriented after stepping through the portal, and it took her a moment to realize what was happening. "PETER!" she cried out. She wanted to reach for him, but Clint stopped her. He told her it was important to let them help Peter.

"We do not know," Thor answered Shuri's question, ignoring May's cries as Clint held her back. "I pulled him out of the ocean like this. He is not breathing and he seems to have lost entirely too much of his life blood."

Shuri was all business at this point, "Right… this way." She started to lead Bucky and Thor to another area where she would be able to work on Peter. When everyone began to follow, she stopped them, "Hey! I need space to work. If you are not bringing me a patient, then I will need you to wait here!" With that, she continued to lead Thor and Bucky to another area where she could start treating Peter.

Strange looked at the others. May was in Clint's arms, crying and still trying to pull herself in Peter's direction. Hulk was right behind them, looking at Strange and studying the sorcerer. With a look, he tried to communicate to the large green man that the situation was critical. Finally, Strange turned towards Pepper.

Pepper was clutching a shivering Morgan close to her. The little girl was still wrapped in Thor's cape. Strange stepped forward and examined Morgan a little while in Pepper's arms. "Pepper… let me take her. She needs medical assistance as well. I'll see if Shuri has another space where I can treat her."

Pepper just gave him a look and clutched her daughter tighter to her side, clearly not wanting to let her go. Morgan whimpered a little, and also seemed uncomfortable with the idea of leaving her mother's arms.

"Please… trust me… I just want to help," Strange tried again.

Okoye and Wanda stepped into the lab, surveying the scene in front of them. "This explains how intruders suddenly appeared in the princess' work space. Sorcerer… it would be most wise for you to explain why you are here!" Okoye snapped at him.

Wanda noticed the others with the shivering child of Tony Stark. "You found the children," Wanda stated.

Okoye softened as soon as she realized what was happening.

Wanda continued, looking around as she asked, "Where is the boy?"

"He is already with Shuri," Strange explained. "We were in dire need of her help."

May let out another cry, and Pepper once again clutched Morgan.

"I could use a space to provide medical assistance to Morgan… she's been through so much for someone so young," Strange told the women.

Okoye nodded, "I see… I will show you the way."

"I'm not leaving her!" Pepper said, looking at Strange.

The sorcerer simply nodded and began to follow Okoye to a place where he could offer some help to the young girl. Pepper followed with Morgan still in her arms.

As they began to leave, May looked at Clint, "I want to be with Peter, Clint! Please! He needs me, too!"

Clint and Bruce looked at Wanda, hoping for some assistance. The Scarlet Witch understood what was needed. "Come with me," she told them. "Shuri will take good care of Peter. We should let T'Challa know what's happening. I'm sure he can offer a place where you can wait for the princess to update you on his condition."

"No! Please… I need to see him!" May protested.

Bruce put a hand on her shoulder, "The best thing we can do for him now is to let people help him, May."

May let out a choked sob, feeling defeated. She looked up when she saw Thor and Bucky walking back. "Where is he?" She noticed blood on Thor's hands and clothing. "What's happened to my boy?"

Thor looked a bit guilty as he attempted to clean away some of the blood. Bucky decided to attempt to give the distraught woman an answer, "He has a chance, May. Shuri has the technology here to help him."

"A chance?" May asked. "What does that mean?"

Wanda cut in, "Please… we should go someplace where you can sit and talk. Follow me… It's just this way."

Reluctantly, the group followed her out. Thor stepped away from the group to clean himself up, not wanting to upset Peter's aunt any further. Once Wanda had everyone settled, he would explain just what he and Pepper found. Clint mentioned the guilty men were already dead, but Thor was wishing that they were still living… if only for him to have the chance to kill them all over again.

* * *

Peter sat up quickly, gasping for air and clutching his stomach. He looked down at his midsection, only to find that there was no wound there. If that wasn't strange enough, he was now dressed in white pants and white shirt. Even the shoes were white.

"What the…?" Peter looked around. Everything around him was white. He carefully pulled himself up to his feet and looked around some more. Where in the hell was he? Or maybe… where the heaven? Was he dead? He took a few more steps. He noticed that, to the left of him, there was fog so dense that he couldn't see anything beyond it. To his right, there was a warm light that appeared rather inviting.

The choice seemed obvious to Peter. He turned and began walking towards the warm, clear light. He had only taken a few steps when a voice from behind made him stop.

"And just where do you think you're going?" The voice called to him.

Peter frowned as he recognized the voice. He turned to look over his shoulders. Mr. Stark was standing there with two other people. One he recognized as the Black Widow. The other was a man he had never seen before. Peter sighed as he turned to face the group, "Just great… is this another hallucination?"

Tony began to walk towards him. He and the others were also dressed in white. The two men had on white suits, while Natasha Romanoff was in a nice white dress. "No, no… we're the real deal." Tony stood in front of Peter and raised his hands to grasp Peter's shoulders. "Could a hallucination do this?" he asked, pulling Peter in for a hug.

The action startled Peter at first, but then he returned the hug eagerly. Peter hadn't realized just how much he needed that hug, and he found himself getting overwhelmed and emotional. "How is this happening?" Peter asked through tears. "Where am I, Mr. Stark?"

Tony released his hold on Peter and stepped back to look at the young man in the eyes, "Somewhere you don't belong," he said, sounding sad.

Natasha stepped forward, with the other man walking alongside of her. "We call this the 'in between' kid," the Black Widow explained.

"In between what?" Peter asked in confusion.

"The place between life and death," the unknown man told him. The man raised his hand for Peter to shake, "My name's Coulson, by the way. I'm friends with Natasha and Tony."

"He's mostly friends with Natasha," Tony added, earning a shrug from Coulson.

"Coulson?" Peter asked. "I heard about you! You died during the battle of New York… against the Chitauri!"

Phil gave an awkward smile, "I thought I was helping out… should've been a little more careful, though."

"Wait! If you're all dead… why are you here in the… um… _in between_ or whatever?" Peter asked in confusion. "Are you stuck here?"

"Nope! We're just here to make sure you go in the right direction," Tony told him.

Peter looked longingly at the warm light. "It's fine, Mr. Stark. I'm pretty sure I have it figured out." Peter went to step back towards the clear light, but Tony stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Clearly… you don't." Tony said, a disapproving and concerned look on his face.

"Stark… you know we can't make this decision for him. He has to decide for himself," Coulson said.

"We're here to guide him, Tony. Not force him one way or another," Natasha added.

Peter let out a sigh, "I don't understand." He studied Tony for a moment, "Do you think I should go in there?" he asked, looking fearfully at the fog in the other direction.

Tony also let out a sigh, "Look, kid… Agent and Natasha are right. I can't decide this for you… even though my opinion is likely clear. That way…" he pointed to the fog, "...leads back to aunt hottie, my beautiful wife, and my adorable daughter." His look turned all the more serious as he nodded towards the light, "That way lets you stay with us."

"And lets you see a few other people you know," Coulson added.

Peter knew without being told that the other people included his uncle and his parents. He couldn't help but to look longingly at the light once again. He swallowed nervously and turned to look at the fog, "Morgan's okay?"

Tony again grabbed Peter's shoulders lovingly, turning the boy to look at him. "Yeah, kid. You saved my baby girl's life. She's gonna be just fine."

Peter smiled, "You're welcome, Mr. Stark. I was happy to…"

Tony cut him off, "Oh no… that wasn't a thank you, kid."

"Wait… what?"

Tony nodded towards the light, "When I let go… when I walked into the light, I did it knowing that _BOTH_ of my kids were safe. One out of two was not an option… that's kinda what got me here in the first place."

Peter bowed his head in shame, "I'm so sorry, sir. It's all my fault."

"He didn't mean that either, Peter," Natasha spoke up. "I think you're missing the point."

"What point?"

"That _YOU_ don't belong _HERE_," Tony clarified, unshed tears glistening in the man's eyes.

Peter was confused and frustrated. "I don't know where I belong anymore," he admitted. "Why not here? It feels safer here, Mr. Stark. I'm just… I'm just so tired, sir."

Coulson and Natasha shared a look with one another. Each one feeling like the kid had already made his choice.

Tony pulled Peter in for another hug. "Oh, Pete… kid…" He again pulled back to study the young man's face. "... I know things haven't been great for you since I left."

A few tears slid down Peter's face, and he lifted a hand to try to swipe them away. He didn't really want the Black Widow to see him cry. "I keep screwing everything up! Do you even know what I did in Europe?"

"Don't even go there, kid!" Tony scolded. "I was damn proud of you for how you used your abilities to stop that asshole, Quintin Beck!" Tony shrugged, "Sure… you made me nervous for a moment when you gave up EDITH, but you got it all sorted out!"

"Did I?" Peter challenged, stepping back from Tony. "If I had been smarter, I wouldn't have been framed as the bad guy!"

"They don't see you as the bad guy anymore, Spider-Man," Coulson spoke up.

Natasha added, "Those idiots who kidnapped you had a terrible plan. It pretty much blew up in their faces."

"Barton and Banner took care of them," Coulson added.

Tony nodded, "Those bastards are burning in hell as we speak! No 'in between' for them! They went straight to the pit!"

Peter shook his head a little, trying to process the information. "I still don't really see how it makes sense to go back there. I just don't think I can take anymore." Peter began stepping backwards, heading in the direction of the light. He watched Tony's face as he backed away from him, and didn't miss the look of fear on the man's face. He clearly didn't want Peter to give up. "Please… just let me stay with you, sir. Please! I don't..."

"Don't you dare give me the 'I don't wanna go' speech again, Pete!" Tony scolded, cutting him off. "Dead or not… my heart can't take it, kid. Now stop moving a second, okay? Seriously… hold on!"

Peter stopped moving. His eyes moved between the three adults, unsure of who would speak next.

It was Natasha, "You really think you're ready to leave your family, kid?"

Peter frowned, looking mostly towards Tony as he said, "But… you're my family, too. You left."

"It's different, Pete," Tony told him.

"How is this different?" Peter challenged.

"Your story doesn't need to end like this!" Tony insisted.

"Neither did yours!" Peter cried out. "We needed you! We still need you!"

"Peter…" Tony stepped forward and once again placed a hand on his shoulder. Peter didn't miss the fact that it was the same hand that snapped Thanos and his army away. "... it was my destiny to make sure that you… that both of my kids… could live a life with everyone else that was saved in the world… the universe!"

"Listen Peter…" Natasha stepped forward. "Our stories ended when we gave our lives for the greater good. We finished our missions. Are you so sure that you finished your story? Your mission?"

"You really think Morgan Stark was the only one to need Spider-Man? Would she be satisfied with your story ending this way?" Coulson asked.

_"Well, shit!"_ Peter thought to himself. He knew that Morgan would certainly not be happy with this ending. But… was that enough? Peter didn't like how Tony's story ended. He didn't like what happened to his Uncle Ben or his parents either. And yet… they died! Could he let himself leave Morgan to that level of grief? Could he make her feel like she was doomed to lose the people she loved? Just as Peter often felt cursed in that way?

"Your choice, Pete," Tony reminded him. "You know where we stand, but… you have to take everything we just told you and make your own choice."

Peter threw his arms around Tony's neck, hugging him tightly. "I love you," he admitted. "I miss you so much. It's… it's just not the same without you."

Tony returned the hug, squeezing gently. "I miss you, too, son. And I love you… more than you know, kid. I love you right back… no mistake or screw up will ever change that, Pete. You hear me? You may not be my kid by blood, but… as far as I'm concerned, you'll always be my first kid. Got it?"

The two continued to embrace, and Peter hated to let this go. He wanted to stay in this safe place with Tony. He wanted to spend more time talking to Natasha and Coulson. He could take this chance see Uncle Ben. He could take the opportunity to see his parents. Would he really give that up to go back to an unfriendly world? Even if there were people who realized that he was set up by Mysterio, there would still be enemies. He would always have enemies in the world. He had nothing but friends and family here.

Peter let go of his surrogate father, stepping back a little. He took a breath and said, "I've made up my mind."

* * *

Two weeks.

Two weeks had already gone by since bringing Peter to Wakanda.

Pepper sighed, watching her daughter as she half-heartedly played with other children. It was pleasantly warm here, and Pepper was content to spend some time outside. May was sitting next to her, and she still looked incredibly tired. Both women tried to be patient. They tried to be strong for Morgan. However, they were all lost. Their sleep would not be restful just yet. So much was still unresolved, and it would remain that way until Peter was better. If Peter got better.

A few days after the kids were found, Pepper finally gave a press conference. She revealed the truth to the world… about the kidnapping… the attempted rescue… everything. The world knew that Spider-Man was in critical condition. She asked for their prayers and their patience.

People were already grieving. They were already posting memorials online as if Peter was already gone. The world was giving up on him, but his family remained hopeful. Pepper and May talked about the memorials, and they realized that most people were just feeling guilty; they felt shame for ever doubting Spider-Man in the first place. They realized he had been the hero along, and their memorials and posts were the only way they knew to make it up to him. Of course, The Daily Bugle still had conspiracy theories, but the women chose to ignore those.

"She seems better today," May commented to Pepper, breaking her from her thoughts.

Pepper knew May was referring to her daughter. She nodded, "I'm just happy that she's out of her room. I wasn't sure if we'd ever get her out of there."

"It was kind of T'Challa to arrange such a nice space for us," May added, referring to the apartment within his own palace.

Pepper nodded in agreement, looking over at the king as he conversed with some of his advisers in the distance. "He's a good man. They were dealing with so much here, and yet he welcomed us with open arms."

"It is because you are all family," Okoye said, coming up behind the women. "The king regrets that he could not extend his help earlier."

"Any news on Peter's condition?" May asked Okoye hopefully.

"Last I heard, there has been no change, Mrs. Parker," Okoye answered, looking disappointed. Okoye felt sorry for the young man. He endured so much. Those men had broken his spirit, and now he may never know just how much the world cared about him. Okoye looked towards Morgan. "And how is your young warrior today?" She asked Pepper.

Pepper gave her a sad smile, "She feels like she let Peter down. She thinks she waited too long to get him help."

May shook her head, "Poor girl. She shouldn't blame herself for any of this."

Okoye looked thoughtful for a moment. "Shuri says that the boy's body is completely healed, and his brain activity is encouraging," she offered, trying to give them hope.

Pepper noticed T'Challa coming to join them. He must have heard Okoye's words because as he came closer he said, "It is his spirit that needs to be healed now."

May swiped at a tear that threatened to fall, "I'm afraid they broke his spirit, your Highness."

T'Challa rested a friendly hand on her shoulder. "Please, Mrs. Parker… Call me T'Challa. There is no need to be formal here."

She clutched his hand and smiled warmly up at him, "Only if you start calling me May."

He nodded, "Agreed… May."

"T'Challa," May ventured to ask, "How… how do you think we can heal his spirit?"

The Black Panther moved to sit next to her. "I'm afraid that part is up to Peter."

More tears threatened to fall as she looked at him. "I can't lose him. I feel so helpless. I just… I wish I could do something to help him."

"In our culture," T'Challa said, looking out at the children playing as he spoke. "We believe that one can commune with his or her ancestors in the place between life and death. Perhaps Peter is with his ancestors now."

May choked on a sob, "But.. but wouldn't that mean that he's… that he's gone?" She couldn't bring herself to say that he was dead. Pepper, too, fought with tears at the idea of Peter being with his ancestors.

T'Challa looked at May, "We believe that our ancestors give us strength and wisdom. I merely meant that perhaps… if Peter is with his ancestors… that they may be able to heal his spirit in ways that we cannot."

May nodded at him and smiled, "I like the thought of that, T'Challa. I hope you're right."

T'Challa smiled and stood, gesturing for the women to follow, "Come. I have arranged for you to dine with my family this evening."

May and Pepper looked like they were about to protest, but he stopped them with a raise of his hand. "The others will be there, too. It's about time I put my foot down and made sure you were all getting a proper meal. I insist."

With a smile, the women agreed. Pepper collected Morgan, and they followed T'Challa and Okoye into his palace.

Dinner was a pleasant affair. T'Challa, Nakia, Okoye, Shuri, and Romanda treated Pepper, May, Morgan, Wanda, Bucky, Steve, Clint, and Thor to a small feast. Dr. Strange had returned to the sanctum, but he portaled in from time to time to check on Peter's progress. Rhodes and Bruce had returned to headquarters to help Sam recover from his own fall.

The Falcon was recovering nicely; however, they felt that it was important to take care of any mess left to clean up after the Katsma incident. The government wasn't happy that the men were dead, but Rhodes had managed to smooth things over. No one was really going to miss criminals like them anyway.

Strange had offered to help Thor get back to space, but the Asguardian insisted on staying until he knew of Peter's fate. Bucky also insisted on staying, and Steve had portaled over with Strange on one of his visits to join his friends. He also tried to help with Morgan as much as he possibly could. Clint couldn't bring himself to leave, either. His family understood, and they were even making plans to join him if things didn't improve soon.

May was overwhelmed by the support, but in a good way. She was honored to have all of these people offer so much love and support. She just wished that Peter could see how much everyone cared to see him recover.

Morgan was settled into Steve's lap, stealing his dessert. The elderly man didn't seem to mind. He, Bucky, Clint, Wanda, and T'Challa were busy talking about their old fight at the airport in Germany. They were each talking about how impressed they had been with Peter's abilities, and how they never thought he would turn out to be so young. Thor was wishing he had been there to see it.

The women at the table were having a separate conversation. It was a peaceful dinner, and May couldn't help but to think about how much Peter would enjoy this. Things almost felt normal, but May knew it would always feel empty without Peter. He had to pull through. He needed to make it back to her!

The Kimoyo beads on Shuri's wrist suddenly lit up and projected data above her wrist, making her frown.

"What is it, sister?" T'Challa asked, a look of concern on his face. He recognized the data above her wrist to be vital signs for Peter. He hoped that the others might not.

They did. "The kid alright?" Clint asked, making May go pale nearby.

Shuri stood up, preparing to leave the room and check on her patient. "I need to go to my lab," she said.

"I'm coming with you," May said, only to be stopped by Pepper who placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Please… stay here," Shuri told her. "I will let you know when I have more information."

May looked at Pepper with pleading eyes, "I need to go to him."

Pepper squeezed her friend's shoulder. She looked over at Morgan as she clung tightly to Steve with a fearful look in her eyes. She spoke quietly to May, not wanting Morgan to hear her. "May… we don't know what Shuri will find. Please… don't do this to yourself. She'll tell us when she knows more."

May choked back a few tears, but nodded at her friend in an agreement to stay.

Silence fell over the room. No one really moved as each one silently prayed to whoever was listening that Peter would be alright.

* * *

**A/N: I know... Coulson survives in the Agents of Shield Spin-off, but I liked the idea of Peter being met by fallen heroes. In my version, he's dead, and I felt like he should be included in that scene. I thought about having Vision in there, but I also feel like he could somehow be revived and brought back. So... I left him out. I know it's a cliffhanger, but I should be able to get the next chapter up soon. **

**What will Shuri find? Will Peter be making his way back? Or is he still with the fallen heroes? Stay tuned to find out. And please leave me one of your lovely reviews. They make my day!**

**Love you 3000! **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I sincerely apologize for this being so late. I accepted a new job and, while I am thrilled with my new position, it is harder to find time to write. Without further ado... here is the next chapter. I hope you enjoy! And please remember to leave a review! **

Chapter 10: I Will Try to Fix You

Peter once again sat up quickly, clutching at his midsection. Again, he searched for his stab wound, but he found nothing there. He was no longer wearing white; instead, he had on some sort of long dark grey tunic. As he looked around, he realized he was on a table as opposed to a hospital bed. As a matter of fact, this didn't look like a hospital at all. Where was he? Did he go the wrong way? Was he supposed to be here?

Peter could feel his heart rate increase alongside of his own panic. "Where the hell am I?" he asked aloud. "Mr. Stark?" he called. Surely, his mentor and the other fallen heroes were still somewhere nearby. Peter hopped off the table, noticing something that sounded robotic as he moved. There were the sounds of advanced machinery and technology all around him. Nothing looked familiar. He tried to call out to his father figure once more, "Mr. Stark? Tony? Where are you? This can't be right!"

"Relax yourself, Spider-Man!" an accented female voice said to him.

Peter whipped around to stare at the owner of the voice, and he was surprised to see the Princess of Wakanda. He remembered meeting her at Tony's funeral. "Shuri?" he questioned, hoping he remembered her name correctly.

"That would be my name," she commented, studying him carefully. "How are you feeling?"

Peter looked down at his body in confusion for a moment before looking up at her again. He frowned, "I don't understand. I… umm… I feel…" he placed a hand to his stomach. "... I feel fine. Why do I feel fine? How do I feel fine?"

Shuri raised her eyebrows at him and put her hands to her hips, "Is that how you say thank you? Really? I thought your aunt would teach you better manners, Peter Parker!"

Peter backed up to the table he was on earlier and sat down. He was still very confused. Just before he woke up, he had been walking through a fog. He was supposed to come back, but how could he possibly be healed? How much time had gone by? "I'm sorry… it's just…" Peter put his hands through his hair. Seeing the princess hadn't really stopped his panic. Where was his family? Morgan! Was Morgan alright? "I don't understand! Am I dead? Is Morgan okay? Where am I?" His breathing was still fast and his words were coming out quickly.

Shuri softened her expression and stepped forward, reaching out a hand to comfort him and placing it on his shoulder. "Take it easy, Peter. You are in Wakanda. I healed you. Your family is safe. Morgan is with them." She spoke in short, precise sentences in the hopes that Peter would be able to stay calm and follow along with her explanation.

Peter tried to take a few deep breaths before asking, "So… she's here? Morgan's here? Can I see her?"

Shuri nodded, but gave him a cautious look. "Earlier… you were asking for Tony Stark. Tell me… are you still seeing him?" Shuri was worried that perhaps the drugs had done more damage than she realized. She did everything she could to cleanse his system, but it was possible that the foreign substances caused some irreparable damage. She needed to know if that was the case so that she could warn his family. That could be quite upsetting to them, especially if he was still imagining Tony Stark in the room.

"What?" Peter asked, slightly confused by the question. He almost forgot that he had been looking for Tony. "Oh... umm… no… I don't see him. Not here anyway."

Shuri cocked her head at him, wondering just where he had seen the fallen Avenger. "Not here?" she ventured to ask.

Peter got a far away look in his eyes as he said, "It was different from this place. There was a lot of white and light." He looked up at Shuri, the look in his eyes clearly asked that she believe him as he added, "Mr. Stark was there with Natasha Romanoff and Agent Coulson."

Realization dawned on Shuri's face. "Your ancestral plane, perhaps," she said with a small smile. "Your Avenger family came to greet you then, eh?"

Peter smiled, relieved that she didn't think he was crazy. "Something like that, but they called it the _in-between_."

Shuri nodded, "It makes sense. You were dead for a few minutes, so I am not surprised." She shrugged and stepped forward to pull up some holograms from the table Peter woke up on. He realized that she was looking at his latest vital signs.

Peter should have been surprised that he had died, but he really wasn't. After all, he had just spent time with 3 dead people. He looked around and couldn't help but be impressed with the holograms Shuri was using. He also noticed that the technology in the room put Mr. Stark's work to shame. Of course, he would keep that thought to himself. He didn't want to dishonor the man who saved his life. "That's incredible," Peter commented as he watched Shuri work. He again looked down to his stomach, recalling the feeling of the metal that had impaled him. He carefully looked down his long tunic by pulling it away from his neck. He couldn't see any sign of the injury. On a side note, he also noticed that he wasn't wearing anything underneath the shirt. He blushed a little at the thought of the princess likely seeing him in his birthday suit.

Shuri seemed to notice that Peter was examining himself. "You see? I fixed you!" she said triumphantly.

Peter blushed some more, "ahem… yes… I see that. But… um… how?"

Shuri pointed to the stuff around her like it should be obvious, "With technology! I'm disappointed, Spider-Man. I thought you were a young genius. The Americans must have very low standards for intelligence."

Peter scowled at her, "If you explain what you did, I'm sure I would be able to understand it."

The princess shrugged, "Perhaps." She lowered the holograms and looked at him. "I think it might just be a waste of time to explain it to you now, though." Peter was about to protest, but she continued with a soft and knowing look on her face, "Because… I think perhaps you would prefer to spend this time reuniting with your family. I'm sure they're very worried."

Peter nodded. "Of course… right. Umm… How long was I out?"

"A couple weeks," Shuri answered.

"It took you that long?" Peter quipped. "I thought you were supposed to be a genius."

This time Shuri scowled. "Hey! I did my part!" she scolded. "You just took more time to do yours!"

"My part?" Peter questioned in confusion. "Now what are you talking about? What took me so long?"

"I could heal your body. I could even help heal your mind, but the spirit… that will always be up to you. I cannot heal a broken spirit, Peter. I think, perhaps, it was the Iron Man and his friends who helped with that during your time in the ancest… or what you called the _in-between_." Shuri explained.

"Oh," Peter said. He didn't really know what else to say. He wondered if his spirit was truly healed. He still felt like there was a heavy weight on his heart. It was like something wasn't right, but he didn't really know what it was.

Shuri was talking, but her words were no longer directed at him. Peter looked up to see her speaking into glowing beads around her wrist. "Spider-Man is awake if anyone wishes to see him."

* * *

Morgan Stark was confused. So many things seemed wrong to her. It all started after her daddy never made it home from battle. And yet… meeting Peter helped to somehow make things right in her world. But now… Peter wasn't here. Well, she supposed that he was in Wakanda with her. However, he wasn't spending time with her. He kept sleeping. Her mother told her that it would help him to heal, but Morgan was terrified that the bad men and their water had caused Peter to be too still again. She feared he would never move or wake up again, and it scared her.

For days, she waited in her room, hoping for Peter to come and knock on her door. But her big brother never came. The loneliness she felt made her tummy hurt. Gramps took her down to see Peter with MayMay and Mommy a few times. And while they told her he was sleeping, Morgan didn't miss the way the adults shed tears of sadness. Why didn't he wake up? Mommy and MayMay quietly talked to Peter, encouraging him to get better and wake up. And yet… still he slept. It seemed so strange.

Gramps would hold her tightly and offer her encouragement. He once placed her next to Peter and encouraged her to talk to him. She tried, but she just didn't know what to say. Instead, she stared at his unmoving form. She thought he looked better, so why wouldn't he wake up? The adults rarely took her down after that.

Than today, it was the first time her mother convinced her to go outside. Morgan enjoyed being outdoors, and she enjoyed playing with the other kids. Yet… things were still just wrong somehow.

King Panther, as Morgan called him, had a nice dinner set for everyone. So many of her father's friends were gathered around that table. All of these wonderful people were kind and funny, but she recognized so many faces from her daddy's funeral. She couldn't help but fear that her brother's funeral was next. Was that why they were all here? Again, it all just felt wrong.

And then, the Princess went quickly from the table. Morgan knew it had something to do with Peter, and her heart filled with dread. This was it. It was going to be a funeral after all. Peter would never wake up.

She buried her head in Steve's shoulder, and the older man whispered softly into her ear and brushed his fingers gently through her hair. She could hear her mother and MayMay crying softly. The room was still. No one moved. No one talked. They were all waiting.

And then… King Panther's beads lit up. The Princess' face beamed in an image above his wrist. And finally something felt right because she said, _"Spider-Man is awake if anyone wishes to see him."_

Of course Morgan wished to see him! Morgan heard many sighs of relief, and everyone stood up to move towards Shuri's lab. Morgan jumped off Steve's lap and weaved through the legs of the grown-ups. She was determined to be the first to him.

"Morgan!" her mother called. "Wait for us!"

She thought she heard Gramps' voice, too. But it seemed to be talking to the others and telling them to wait. Was it something about letting Morgan, Pepper, and May go first? She wasn't too worried about that. She had to get to Peter! Nothing else mattered. He was awake! He was finally awake!

Morgan continued to run as fast as her legs would carry her, and her little lungs burned with the effort. Morgan didn't stop until she entered the lab. She stood in the doorway, searching for her brother.

As soon as their eyes made contact, everything that felt wrong seemed to melt away. "PETEY!" Morgan called out, once again running towards him.

"Morgs!" he called back to her, holding his arms open to her as she ran to him.

The little girl wasted no time throwing herself into his arms and wrapped her own arms tightly around him. Both of Tony's beloved kids cried as they held each other. Both completely relieved that the other was alright.

"You're okay?" Peter asked as he held her.

"Yes… and you? Petey, are you okay? What took you so long!?" Morgan both asked and scolded at the same time.

Peter chuckled through his own tears. "I just needed to be reminded of what's good in this world."

Morgan let go and leaned back to give Peter a confused look, "What do you mean? What's good?"

Peter smiled, "You are, Morgs. You make this world a place worth living."

She cocked her head at him, trying to understand what Peter was saying. She decided she didn't really care. The only thing that mattered was that he was here! She smiled at him and buried her head back into his shoulder.

Peter rubbed a hand up and down her back as he held her. "You're my hero, Morgs. You know that? You saved me."

Without lifting her head, Morgan answered, "You're my hero!" She clutched him tighter and whispered, "I love you, Spider-Man."

Peter clutched her tighter and whispered back, "I love you, too…" he smiled as a new nickname came to his mind, "... Iron Morgs."

Morgan chuckled and leaned back to look at him with some confusion.

"It my new name for you. Every hero needs a name… you're my Iron Morgs," Peter told her.

She smiled, "I like it! I think daddy would like it, too!"

"Definitely," he confirmed.

"Peter?" May's voice called to him. She noticed how Peter held Morgan tightly in his arms. He looked so strong. It was hard to believe that she nearly lost him. "Oh, Peter!" She gently cried, rushing up to pull Peter into her arms. Since Peter held Morgan, she was ultimately holding them both. She planted a kiss on each kid's forehead.

Pepper came up beside her, not bothering to hide the tears that were falling down her face. "It's so good to see you awake, Peter," she told him, joining in on the group hug.

Not much else was said. The small family just held onto each other, crying tears of joy and relief.

They stayed like that for awhile before another presence made himself known. Morgan was the first to see him. "Gramps!" she called to him. "Look! He's awake! He's finally awake!"

Steve stepped forward slowly, giving the group some time to break out of their hug.

Peter stared at the man in amazement, "Captain?"

Steve chuckled a little, "Good to see you, Queens."

"Wow… you look… um…" Peter stuttered, genuinely stunned by the man's appearance. It was one thing to hear about him being old, and a whole other thing to actually see it. "... uh… wow… you've changed. I mean… sorry…"

Steve laughed harder, "I get it, son. I'm old!"

"Well… yeah," Peter said. "What are you doing here?" Peter asked, blushing when he realized just how rude the question was. "I mean… sorry… that came out wrong. Do you… like… live here now?"

Steve seemed puzzled by the question at first, but then seemed to understand. "Peter," Cap said, giving him a serious look. "Everyone is here to make sure you're alright. We've been worried."

Peter frowned in confusion, "Everyone? You mean…?"

"Thor, Wanda, Clint, Bucky, and of course Shuri, T'Challa, Okoye, and Nakia. Bruce, Stephen, Sam, and Rhodes aren't here, but they've been checking in every day. Everyone was worried about you, son," Steve clarified.

Peter looked genuinely surprised, "Really?" He couldn't help but wonder where they all were during his time in Europe. It felt so unfair that he had been left to handle that on his own. There was a knot in Peter's stomach at the thought of Europe. Didn't they know? Hadn't they seen Katsma's video of his confession? Everything was his fault. Why would they care about him?

"Peter?" May asked, rubbing a hand down his back. "You alright?" Of course, May could see his inner conflict, and she realized that something was bothering him.

Peter didn't want to upset her and just nodded, "Of course, May," he lied. But he was definitely worried about that video. The whole world must see him as a joke. Sure... Tony, Natasha, and Coulson told him the Katsmas failed, but he wasn't really convinced.

Before he could continue with his worried thoughts, a jovial voice called out to him, "Man of Spiders! How good it is to see you!" Thor entered the room, followed closely by Clint and Bucky Barnes.

Peter's eyes widened at the sight of the Asguardian. He looked much healthier than the last time Peter saw him. They met briefly at Tony's funeral, and it was clear the God of Thunder was back to full strength.

Thor stepped up to Peter and placed a large, strong hand on his shoulder, "I am so glad to see you looking well. I was worried we had lost you… when I pulled you from your underwater prison…" Thor suddenly pulled his hand away and had a faraway look in his eyes. "Well… it was most unpleasant. I grow tired of seeing my companions fatally wounded."

Everyone went quiet. Unpleasant was putting it mildly. It was awful to think about just how close they had come to losing Peter for good. He had nearly become another fallen Avenger.

"Thanks for the pep talk, Lightning Rod!" Clint said, coming up closer to the group. "Geez… way to kill the mood. This is a celebration! The kid is alive, man. Let's focus on that!"

"Hawkeye?" Peter said. "I'm surprised to see you. I thought you'd be with your family."

Clint looked around at the group before answering, "I thought I was with family."

"We're all family here, kid," Bucky finally spoke up from the back of the group. "Maybe a little dysfunctional… but a family."

Everyone nodded in agreement at the statement, staring at Peter.

There was a funny feeling in the pit of Peter's stomach. He should've felt warmth and happiness, but it felt more like bitterness and anger. Why weren't they there for him earlier? Where was this family when he needed the most? They left him alone in Europe, and that all led to him going on the run and getting kidnapped with Morgan. He clutched Morgan a little tighter, needing her presence to ground him. He wanted to ask them more questions, but he was interrupted by T'Challa, Shuri, and Wanda entering the room. He hadn't even noticed that Shuri left.

"Perhaps we can let Peter go somewhere more comfortable," T'Challa offered. "I fear my sister will be most unpleasant with so many people in her lab."

"Hey!" Shuri scolded, "Don't make me the bad guy, brother!"

"Well… do you like a crowded lab?" he asked.

"Not particularly, but they don't need to know that!" Shuri answered.

T'Challa just smiled, "What do you say? Shall we move this reunion elsewhere?" He directed the question to Peter.

The room did suddenly feel small, like the walls wanted to close him in. "Please… yeah… I could use some fresh air," Peter admitted. He thought perhaps a change of scenery would clear his mind and help him settle. He didn't particularly like or understand the anger and hurt bubbling up inside of him. He hoped he could push it down and make it go away. Surely it was just the stress of the situation.

He noticed that Steve seemed to be studying him. His wizened old eyes seemed to see something that no one else could, but he remained quiet as the group followed the Black Panther out of the room.

Peter continued to hold Morgan close, like a lifeline. May, Pepper, and Steve trailed behind the group. Pepper noticed that Steve seemed a little troubled. "What is it, Steve?" Pepper asked.

Steve shook his head a little, "He may be awake, but something tells me Peter's spirit still needs some mending. Something is bothering him."

"You're not wrong," May confirmed, eyeing Peter as he carried Morgan. "But then… how could he not be bothered by all of this? We can't expect him to just bounce back." She shook her head sadly. "He must be traumatized! They put him through hell!"

"True," Steve said. "But I think his wounds are deeper. This goes beyond the kidnapping."

Pepper nodded, "This event probably brought things to the surface." She looked at May, "You always said he was good at burying his feelings. I think those feelings have resurrected from the grave right along with him."

"Oh God," May cursed. "How do we help him? I don't know how to fix this." She admitted.

"Don't worry, May," Pepper told her, "We'll do this together."

"Whatever it takes," Steve added.

With that, they all left Shuri's lab. They were beyond happy to have Peter back, but they knew that Peter's struggles weren't over. They had won a tough battle, but they hadn't yet won the war.

They prayed that Peter's war with himself wouldn't make them lose him all over again.

* * *

**A/N: And there it is! Did anyone else see the pictures of RDJ and Tom Holland on their hike? I love those two together! Someone needs to make a film with those two playing a father and son. I suspect that RDJ was trying to cheer him up. This whole thing between Disney and Sony is a mess! Spider-Man belongs in the MCU! He's an Avenger, and we want him back!**

**Anyway... more to come in this story. I'm planning to give Peter some time with different team members. Will they each find a way to help him get through his hurt and anger? There is also a reunion with MJ and Ned coming. Stay tuned to see how this all wraps up. I have a unique ending planned, so I hope you stick with me!**

**Love you all 3000! (Don't forget to drop me a review! I love those 3000, too). **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: What another chapter so soon? After such a long hiatus? It was the least I could do. Enjoy!**

Chapter 11: I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends

Peter was staring up at the ceiling of his bedroom… or rather the room T'Challa had prepared for him. Morgan was nestled into his side and sleeping soundly. She stayed with him, not wanting to let him out of her sight. Peter was glad she could sleep, but he wasn't really tired. After all, hadn't he slept for a couple weeks? It was no wonder he found himself wide awake.

Everything that happened after waking up and reuniting with his family and team members was a blur. They had gone up to a balcony after leaving Shuri's lab, and it wasn't long before some fireworks and a celebration began. Peter knew he should be grateful. An entire nation of people were rejoicing that he was alive. So, why wasn't he happier about it? Why did he feel so bitter? So angry?

He looked over at Morgan's sleeping form. She was the only person who helped him push down those feelings. She was good, pure, and wholesome. If he didn't have her, he realized he would've gone completely crazy.

As Peter looked back at the ceiling, he tried to pinpoint the source of his negative emotions. Was it the men who kidnapped and drugged him? Was his anger at the world for thinking he had murdered Beck? Was it the team for not helping him in Europe? Was he mad at Tony, Natasha, and Coulson for convincing him to come back and making him feel these painful emotions? Maybe it was all of the above. Or… maybe Peter was angrier at himself. He should've fought harder. He shouldn't have been so weak. He never should have let those men take Morgan. There was no reason to take her. They could've made their demands with him alone. Why did any of these things have to happen?

Angry tears began to pour from his eyes, but he stayed quiet. He didn't want to wake Morgan. He wanted to be happy. He wanted to be grateful. But all he felt was a damned heaviness in his chest. It was like his heart was too heavy. His whole chest felt heavy. It was suddenly getting harder for Peter to breathe. He clenched his fists and closed his eyes.

Bad idea. With his eyes closed, he saw images of his tortured past… all of it. Ben dying. Tony dying. Beck dying and making him look like a villain. Morgan with a gun to her head. A cage. Being unable to move. Metal stabbing him through the stomach. Water rushing over his head. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't breathe. Oh God… why couldn't he breathe?

In his panic, he didn't even realize that Morgan woke up. He didn't hear her as she tried to call to him. "Peter! What's wrong? PETER!" Morgan cried, her eyes wide in terror.

The little girl ran from the room, searching for someone who could help. She ran so quickly around a corner that she nearly knocked Steve off his feet. Steve, who rarely slept. Was patrolling the hallways when his hearing, still enhanced despite his age, picked up the distressed sounds coming from Peter's room. He was going that way just as Morgan ran into him.

"Gramps!" The little girl cried. "Help! Peter! I don't know what's wrong. Help him! PLEASE!"

Steve squeezed her shoulders gently. "Stay here," he told her. "I'll take care of him." The captain recognized the sounds of a panic attack. He walked into the room and carefully made his way over the anxious young man.

Peter had a hand to his chest, and the other hand was clenched in a tight fist at his side. Something told Steve he would need to watch that fist carefully. A traumatized soldier in a state of confusion could still pack a wallop. "Peter…" Steve said, sitting carefully on the edge of the bed.

"Can't… breathe…" He panted out between quick and shallow breaths.

"Listen to me, son," Steve soothed. "You're having a panic attack. You're safe here."

"Spinning… dizzy…" Peter added, continuing to struggle.

"I hear you. I'm right here. Listen to my voice, son. Can you open your eyes and look at me?" Steve kept his voice as calm as possible.

Peter kept his eyes closed and shook his head.

"Can you try for me, Peter? Maybe you can count my wrinkles?" He thought perhaps some calm humor would get the boy's attention and was pleased to see that it worked.

Peter peeled his eyes open and stared at him, "Too… many…" he panted.

Steve smirked. Even amid a panic attack the kid couldn't stop himself from being quippy. "Fair point, son. Glad you're with me. Think you can try taking a deep breath for me? We could breathe together."

Sweat was beading on Peter's forehead. He looked at Steve with frightened eyes, looking younger than Steve had ever seen him look before. It was so easy to forget that someone as enhanced and strong as Spider-Man was still just a teenager.

Morgan stepped back into the room. "Gramps?" She called to him carefully. "Can I… Is there anything I can do?"

Steve looked from Peter to Morgan. "Maybe…" he told her. "Come sit by me, sweetheart."

Morgan went over to Steve and sat down with him.

"In a calm voice," he told her. "Let him know you're here."

"I… can… see… her…" Peter managed to say between breaths. "Not… blind…"

Morgan carefully placed her small hand on top of the hand that Peter had over his chest. "You're okay, Petey," she told him. "I'll help you."

Steve smiled at her and looked at Peter once again. "Think you can take a deep breath? Show Morgan what you can do, Queens."

Peter clutched Morgans hand and attempted a deep breath, but it didn't work too well. That only made him want to panic more.

"How about if Morgan counts to three?" Steve said. "Breath in until she counts to three, then let the breath out." He looked at Morgan. "Slowly," he instructed, hoping she would understand that he meant for her not to count too fast.

The little girl nodded, "1… 2… 3…"

Steve was pleased to see Peter attempt to breath in. "Good… now out… 2… 3." When Peter let his breath out, he started again. "In… 2… 3…" Morgan chanted with him. "Out… 2… 3…"

This continued until it seemed like Peter started to get his breathing back under control.

"That's it, Queens," Steve encouraged. "Do you know where you are right now?"

Peter nodded, locking eyes with Morgan, and once again using her to ground him. "Wakanda," he said.

"Are you in danger here?" Steve asked.

Peter took a breath, "No."

"What do you see?" Steve asked him.

"You… and Morgan… in my room," Peter answered.

"What do you feel?"

"Morgan's hand… my bed… my heart… pounding…."

"Keep breathing, Peter. Focus on Morgan. What do you hear?" Steve prompted

Peter seemed to be listening to something, "Morgan's heartbeat… your heartbeat… my heartbeat... it is going… crazy… pounding in my ears."

"Try to get your heart beating in rhythm with ours, Peter. Keep breathing. In… 2… 3… out… 2… 3…" Steve suggested. He waited patiently for Peter as he once again attempted to steady his breathing.

"I'm closer," Peter said moments later. "My heartbeat isn't...as fast."

"That's good, kid. What do you smell?" Steve asked, continuing to use the senses in an attempt to ground him and bring him back to the present.

Peter frowned, but took a deep breath through his nose. His raised his eyebrows in surprise and looked at Steve. "I think… I smell bacon."

Steve also took a moment to look surprised before he also caught the smell of bacon in the air. "I think you're right, Queens. Care to use the last of your senses to taste some? Think you could try stretching your legs?"

Peter nodded. "I could get up… anything for… bacon."

Morgan giggled a little, pleased to see things calming down. She jumped off the bed and held out her hand to her brother. "Come on… you can do it."

Peter sat up, taking a few more deep breaths. He felt a little dizzy and looked towards Steve.

The old Avenger seemed to understand Peter's dilemma. He stood up and carefully helped Peter get to his feet, steadying him as he stood. The young man clearly didn't want to fall over or pass out in front of Morgan. Once he was up on his feet, Morgan grasped his hand left hand.

"Come on… I'll help you…" she said.

Steve was on Peter's right, continuing to keep him steady as Morgan carefully pulled Peter from the room and moved him slowly towards the kitchen.

Sure enough, Bucky Barnes was in the kitchen that was situated off of the guest quarters. He was frying bacon in a pan on the high tech stove, looking pleased with himself. "Buck?" Steve asked, eyeing his friend suspiciously.

"Hey," the soldier greeted, acting like cooking bacon right now wasn't at all strange. "Thought the kid might be hungry."

Steve glanced at the clock. "At 2:00 in the morning?"

"Heard the commotion from my room," Bucky shrugged. "I know I'm hungry after a panic attack, so I thought… What the hell… I'll make the kid some bacon."

Steve smiled at his friend and let out a small laugh while helping Peter get settled into a stool at the counter.

Peter studied the soldier as he turned the bacon in the pan. "You have panic attacks?" he asked curiously.

Bucky took some bacon out of the pan and removed it from the heat before turning to look at Peter. He raised his eyebrows at the teenager, "You think a guy like me wouldn't? Hydra... Brainwashing... used as a killing machine… panic attacks are pretty much par for the course, kid."

"Sorry," Peter responded.

"Not trying to make you sorry. Just letting you know you're not alone," Bucky clarified, placing a plate of bacon in front of him.

Peter gave him a grateful smile and grabbed a piece. He took a bite and looked at the man in surprise. "Mmm… this is… wow… this might actually be better than the bacon Pepper makes." Peter looked at Morgan, "Don't tell her I said that."

Morgan shrugged and grabbed a piece of bacon off of Peter's plate. "Okay," she agreed, taking a bite for herself.

The small group continued to sit together, quietly enjoying their savory snack. Before long, Morgan started falling asleep. Steve quietly moved to lift her into his arms before telling Peter and Bucky that he was going to get her back into her bed for the night.

Bucky and Peter watched them leave.

"Feeling better, kid?" Bucky asked.

Peter shrugged a little, looking uncomfortable. "I guess. I honestly feel embarrassed that it happened in the first place."

"You gotta cut yourself some slack, Parker," Bucky told him, moving to sit next to him at the counter.

Peter seemed to contemplate those words for a moment. "I don't know if I can," he admitted.

"Why not?" Bucky pressed.

Peter took a deep breath and studied the older man next to him. Barnes had been through his own special kind of hell, and Peter couldn't help but wonder how the man was able to be so composed. "How do you do it?" Peter dared to ask. "How do you move forward after the bad things happen? How do you leave them behind?"

Bucky gave him a sad smile, "I'm afraid the bad stuff is never really left behind kid. That's a myth."

Peter frowned, "So I'll never move on?"

"That's not what I said," Bucky told him. "You can't undo the bad stuff, Peter. Your history is part of who you are. You carry it with you."

"What if I don't want to carry it with me?" Peter asked, sounding frightened by the idea.

"Look… I can only speak from my own experience. I can't pretend to know what you're feeling, kid. All I can tell you is that my past… it informs my future. It makes me want to be a better person. I feel driven to make things right in my life. Hydra made me a weapon. Now… I can take my abilities and finally use them how I want… to help people… to right some wrongs," Barnes explained.

Peter leaned forward on the counter and grabbed his head in his hands. "So I should right some wrongs?" he asked in confusion.

"That's what I did with my past, Peter. I'm telling you that _you_ get to decide how _your_ past will inform _your_ future," Bucky clarified. "You can't undo what's been done, but you can control how your past will impact the next part of your life."

Peter sat quietly for a moment, contemplating the soldier's words. "But my mistakes were so public! I know what Will and Justin did. How many people saw me? What must the world think of me?"

"Honestly?" Bucky asked. "A lot of people see you as a brave kid who tried to protect a little girl he loves like a sister."

Peter scoffed, "Great. A brave _KID_… not Spider-Man. Just a kid."

"Is that so bad?" Bucky challenged. "Maybe you need to let yourself be a kid for awhile, Parker." He took a bite of another piece of bacon. "Being an adult ain't as fun as it seems."

"What about being a hero?" Peter asked. "What if I want people to trust me as a hero?"

Bucky thought for a moment, "You can't please everyone. You don't need every person in the world to like you, kid. Focus on the people that matter most to you. For example, how does Morgan see you?"

Peter smiled at the thought. He shook his head a little and sighed, "Somehow she still thinks I'm a hero."

"You see?" Bucky encouraged. "That's an opinion that matters."

"What's your opinion?" Peter dared to ask.

Bucky looked surprised for a moment. "My opinion matters to you, huh?"

Peter shrugged, "Yes… of course."

Bucky smiled and looked thoughtful for a moment. He leaned forward on the counter casually, taking another bite of food. He swallowed and looked at Peter with a sly smile, "I think anyone who manages to pull himself free after being impaled and then saves a little girl from dying… all after being drugged and weakened… is a badass superhero."

Peter couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled out in response. "You think I'm a badass? Seriously?"

Bucky passed Peter another piece of bacon and smiled. "Damn straight," he confirmed. "Spider-Man is definitely a badass."

Steve stood in the hallway, smiling at the exchange in the kitchen. He stayed back after hearing just how well the two were connecting. It warmed his heart to see Bucky with Peter. He couldn't remember the last time he heard his friend talk so much. The exchange reminded him so much of the way Bucky was back when Steve was just a scrawny kid in Brooklyn. It warmed his old heart to see his friend acting like his old self again. He heard Bucky speak once more.

"So… you know Morgan's opinion… you have my opinion. Who else has an opinion that matters? What would your friends say?" Bucky asked.

"I think they would…" Peter stopped mid-sentence. "Oh shit!" Peter sat straight up and looked towards Bucky.

"What's the matter?" Bucky asked in concern.

"I never called them! I was supposed to call them before all of this happened! It's been weeks! They must think I'm the worst!" Peter shot out of his chair, moving towards the hallway.

"I'm sure they'll understand under the circumstances!" Bucky called after him. "Kid! It's almost 3:00 in the morning right now!"

"Not in Queens!" Peter called back, barely paying Steve any attention as he flew by him in the hallway.

Steve turned to watch him go before turning back to Bucky with a smile, "Thanks, Buck. It's like that panic attack never happened. You're really good with him."

Bucky gave him a sad smile, "Well… you know it will happen again, right? The kid's bound to have some more episodes with the trauma he experienced."

Steve nodded and walked to join his friend and help clean up their late night/early morning meal. "True… but I think it helps him to know he can come to you for support." Steve smirked, "Especially since you think he's a badass."

Bucky laughed a little, "You're just jealous, old man, because I see you as an ass."

"Right back at you…" Steve smirked, a spark of humor in his eyes. "...old man."

* * *

It was a new tradition for them. Ned, MJ, and Flash would meet somewhere to do homework. They would find a spot that had a TV station, hoping that there would be news about Peter. Happy had promised that he would inform them if he heard anything from Pepper, but they still felt the need to keep a close eye on the news.

It had been weeks since Pepper Potts-Stark revealed the truth about what happened to Peter and asked people to keep him in their thoughts and prayers. According to Happy, Peter seemed to be in some kind of coma. It pained the teenagers to think that their friend may never wake up again.

On this night, they were doing homework in a Pizzeria that was open late. Their curfew was 10:00, which was pretty gracious. They knew it was because their parents felt guilty about ever doubting Peter, and they had no trouble taking advantage of the generous curfew. Flash's parents didn't actually seem concerned about how late he was out. MJ and Ned were learning a lot about Flash these days, and they were starting to understand why he acted like such a jerk. His parents were more interested in work than their son, and Flash seemed content to take out his hurt and frustration on others. Or he used to. It was a little strange at first, but they started to get used to having Flash around. He still acted like an asshole sometimes, but he also allowed Ned and MJ to put him in his place when he was. So, that was something good.

Basically, they all united over their concern for Peter. Or… maybe Flash really saw Peter as Spider-Man. He didn't want to admit concern for Peter, but he would admit that he was concerned about Spider-Man. Whatever… at least he seemed to care, so that was progress for the bully.

It was going on 9:00 and they were getting ready to head home a little early, knowing they had a Spanish test in the morning. They had studied for hours, and they felt like they could officially call it a night.

But then Ned's phone rang.

MJ looked at him curiously, "That your mom? She looking for you to come home a little early?"

"Maybe it's Betty looking for something else!" Flash joked, earning a disapproving glare from MJ.

Ned frowned, "It's a foreign number. My caller ID says it from… wait!" He looked at his friends. "I think this is from Wakanda!" Ned looked at them anxiously. "What should I do?"

"Answer it, Loser!" MJ scolded.

"What if… what if it's bad news?" Ned asked.

"Give me that!" Flash said, grabbing the phone from Ned. He pressed the button to answer the call and put it on speaker. "Hello?" he asked.

It was quiet on the other end for a moment. The teenagers looked at each other in confusion.

This time, MJ tried. "Hey! Who is this?"

_"MJ?"_ Came a questioning voice on the other end.

The kids all looked at each other in surprise. Could it be? That sounded a lot like Peter's voice. The kids glanced around the Pizzeria. The place was empty except for the bored owner who was listening to his headphones behind the counter.

_"Um… are you there?"_ Came Peter's voice again. _"Hello?"_

Ned suddenly found his voice, "Ohmygodpeteristhatyou?" His words ran together.

_"Ned?"_ Peter asked, clearly having trouble hearing his friend's rapid words over the phone. _"What? Hello?"_

"Parker! You're alive!" Flash exclaimed.

_"Flash?"_ Peter asked, sounding confused. _"Are you guys having Decathlon practice this late? Who all is with you right now?"_

"Oh my god…" MJ cut in. "Peter? Please tell me you aren't calling us about Decathlon right now, loser! We've been worried sick!"

_"Umm… no… I was hoping to catch Ned and you, MJ. I'm just confused as to why Flash is there and answering Ned's phone calls,"_ Peter clarified, still sounding confused.

"Ned was being a wuss and wouldn't answer the call, so I did," Flash clarified.

"Peter!" Ned tried again. "Dude! Are you okay? Mrs. Stark made it sound like you were definitely not okay!"

_"Umm… yeah… I just woke up earlier today. I'm really sorry. It's all been a little crazy. Or… honestly… I went a little crazy,"_ Peter admitted. _"I really wanted to talk to you, but… if it's a bad time…"_

"Don't you dare end this phone call!" MJ warned.

Ned was finally catching on. Peter didn't expect Flash to be there, and he was uncomfortable knowing he was there.

"Dude… Flash is cool with us now. It's fine. It's just the three of us," Ned told him.

_"I don't…"_ Peter sounded so lost. _"Why would he do that?"_

"Listen, Pen… um… Peter… I'm trying something new, alright? Maybe… just maybe… I'm trying to be a little more like our local hero," Flash explained. "But if you tell anyone I'll kill you!"

Ned and MJ shared a look. Still the same old Flash.

_"I'd like to see you try it,"_ Peter dared.

MJ was surprised by the sound of Peter's voice. He sounded genuinely offended to hear that Flash was with them. "_ALL_ of us have been worried, Peter. Forget Flash… are you alright?"

Peter softened upon hearing MJ's genuine concern. He sighed on the other end of the phone, _"I'm feeling a lot of things right now, guys… "alright" isn't really one of those feelings."_

"Dude… what can we do?" Ned asked.

_"Just tell me I haven't lost you guys,"_ Peter said.

"You could never lose us, Peter," MJ insisted. "We hate that we had to wait so long, but we're thrilled that you're alive. We are the ones who thought we lost you!"

_"I'm really sorry about that,"_ Peter answered. _"To be honest, you almost did. It kinda feels like it would've been a hell of a lot easier to let go."_

The teenagers looked at each other in concern.

"What the hell does that mean? No way Spider-Man was about to give up! What the F are you talking about, Parker?" Flash exclaimed.

"Peter… I'm worried about you. Are you alone?" Ned asked his friend, ignoring Flash's outburst.

_"Umm… not really. I just had a talk with Bucky, so that helped. He was the one that helped remember that I still friends that cared about me. That's why I called. I just… I really needed to hear your voices. I really miss you,"_ Peter said.

"Bucky? As in Captain America's soldier friend? That is so cool!" Flash said.

_"Umm… I guess…"_ Peter responded.

"Ignore him," MJ said. "We miss you, too. When are you coming home?"

It was quiet on the other end, and for a moment they thought they had lost him. But then he spoke again, _"I honestly don't know."_

"Maybe we can get Mr. Happy to bring us to you! We'll ask him!" Ned suggested enthusiastically.

_"You talk to Happy?"_ Peter asked in surprise.

"He looks out for us," MJ told him. "He says it's something that he wants to do for you… you know… he makes sure we're safe while you're… um… away." She tried to choose her words carefully. Peter definitely didn't sound like himself, and she didn't want to upset him.

_"Oh… okay… yeah. I mean… I'd love to see you… and Happy. But… are you sure your parents would be cool with you all coming to Africa?"_ Peter asked, doubtfully.

"Dude! My mom loves you all over again. She feels terrible for cursing out May after the Mysterio thing. She lets me do whatever I want now! It's her way of making it up to me!" Ned answered.

_"Huh… well… that's interesting I guess. I'm glad that seeing me on a twisted version of Reality TV could change her mind."_

MJ didn't miss the bitterness in his voice. Peter needed them. They would convince Happy to get them over there as quickly as possible. She just hoped they could ditch Flash. Something told her Peter wasn't ready for a visit from his former bully. "Hang in there, Peter, okay? We'll find a way to visit," she assured him.

_"So… you still want to be my friends? Even after I deserted you?"_

"Dude… we could never stop being your friends!" Ned promised.

"Yeah… You can explain the desertion once we get there," MJ told him. She wasn't kidding. She was pretty sure Peter owed them an explanation for that.

Peter actually laughed a little, _"Sure… no problem, MJ."_

"I can't wait!" Flash said.

Ned and MJ shared a look. Yep… Flash would need to wait his turn.

This was confirmed by Peter's unenthusiastic, _"That's just great."_

It was quiet for a moment before Peter said, _"I'm sorry. I need to go… they want me to try to get some sleep. It's like after 3:00 in the morning here."_

"Of course, dude. Take care of yourself. We'll talk again soon," Ned told him.

_Thanks, man. Talk to you later,"_ Peter said.

"Bye," MJ said.

The phone call ended by the time Flash added, "Bye Peter!"

Again, Ned and MJ shared a look. Each one felt a little guilty, knowing they couldn't take him along. But Peter's comfort came first, and he was clearly not in the mood to see Flash Thompson.

Hopefully, Flash would forgive them later.

Peter needed to be their first priority. He definitely didn't seem like himself. He needed his best friends, and they would do whatever they could to be there for him.

* * *

Peter stared at the phone. He didn't know how to feel. Part of him felt like his friends were replacing him. And with Flash? Seriously? How could so much be different already?

Could he count on anything to feel normal ever again?

Peter flopped down on the bed, suddenly very tired. He couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to be with his parents, Uncle Ben, Tony, Natasha, and Coulson. He struggled to understand why he needed to be back here. More tears threatened to fall, but he forced himself to think of the encouragement from Bucky and Steve. But mostly, he pictured Morgan. He would be strong for her. That was all that mattered.

He would be strong for Morgan. He could do this. Really. He could.

And with these thoughts in mind, Peter closed his eyes and let himself drift off to sleep.

* * *

**A/N: Who will offer the most encouragement? Will Peter finally be on the road to recovery? Or will he fall further into a pit of despair? **

**Stay with me to find out! And please... pretty please... leave me one your lovely reviews!**

**Love you 3000!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Here is a short, fluffy chapter to hold you over until I can get the more detailed chapter finished. I'm hoping that I can potentially wrap up this story over the Labor Day weekend. Time will tell. For now... enjoy this little snippet, and let me know what you think of the character interactions in this chapter by leaving a friendly review. **

* * *

Chapter 12: One Day at a Time

Peter felt himself pulled from sleep at the feeling of someone sitting gently on the side of his bed. His Spider-Sense gave no indication that there was danger, so he took his time coming out of his sleep. This person could surely give him a few more minutes to rest his eyes.

"Peter?" the voice called to him gently. Peter knew that voice, and he recognized the smell of her perfume. Peter hummed softly at the feeling of Aunt May's fingers as they gently brushed through his brown curls. "Hey tough guy," she continued, her voice still calm and gentle with only a hint of her playful teasing. "Think you can open those brown eyes for me, handsome?"

Slowly, Peter blinked his eyes open and looked at her. They smiled at each other as May continued to brush through his curls. "Mmm…" Peter groaned. "Five more minutes, May."

He attempted to roll to his side, but May stopped him. "Oh no you don't. It's time to get up. I miss spending time with you. It's almost time for lunch!"

Peter's eyes shot open as turned back to look at her. "Seriously? I slept that long?"

May shrugged. "Long enough for someone who was awake most of the night."

Peter gave her a sheepish look. "Who told you?"

"Steve," she confirmed.

Peter groaned and pulled himself up into a sitting position. May lowered the hand that had been brushing through his hair and used it to grasp his hand. Peter didn't miss the sad look in her eyes. "I'm sorry, May," he told her.

She frowned a little, "For what?"

"Worrying you… again," Peter admitted.

May offered him a small smile, "I'll always worry about you, Peter. I'm pretty sure it's written in my job description as your aunt… somewhere in the fine print."

Peter chuckled, "Yeah… I guess it is."

May studied him a moment, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze before she asked, "You wanna talk about it?"

Peter knew she was asking about his panic attack. "Not really," he told her. He didn't fail to notice the hurt look on her face as he said it, so he added, "It's not that I don't want to talk to you, May. It's just that I'm not really ready to talk about last night. Or… maybe anything else that has happened recently. I just want things to be normal between us, May. You and me talking about old movies and larb… stuff like that."

She gave him another sad smile and leaned over to plant a gentle kiss on his forehead. She lingered there a moment, bringing her other hand up to cup the back of his head and leaning her head against his for a moment before pulling back and looking him in the eyes. "Those were the good ole days, huh?" she asked him.

For some reason, tears began to prick at the corner of Peter's eyes at her words. The old days… nothing like the days he was faced with now. These days were haunted with pain and loss. He swallowed hard, wanting to be strong. "Yeah…" he choked out in confirmation.

May lifted her hand again to cup his face and wipe away the tears that had managed to escape. "I'm the one who's sorry, Peter. I feel like I should've done more to protect you. Spider-Man or not, you're still my kid."

Peter swallowed hard again, allowing a few more tears to escape his eyes. He looked to see May fighting tears of her own. "I guess we're both pretty hard on ourselves, huh?" he told her.

May laughed a little, "Must be a family trait." She leaned back and swiped away a few of her own tears. She cleared her throat, knowing this wasn't what Peter needed right now. She needed to cheer him up. "Ahem… anyway… how about we agree to give each other some grace, huh? What do you say? Shall we start a new chapter?"

Peter offered her a genuine smile, "A new chapter sounds great, May."

Pepper popped into the room and smiled. "You're awake! I can get used to seeing you like this! I missed those big brown eyes of yours!" Pepper walked over to him, leaning down to plant a kiss to his forehead, just like May had done moments before.

Having these amazing women in his life warmed Peter's heart. They supported each other and helped to support him. Their loving encouragement was exactly what he needed, and their love managed to keep his negative feelings at bay… at least for the moment.

"You hungry?" Pepper asked him. "We have some BLT sandwiches for lunch. Apparently, Barnes made too much for your late night snack, so we used the leftovers to make some sandwiches." She raised an eyebrow at him, "I hear you're a pretty big fan of Bucky's bacon."

Peter donned a look of innocence, "What? No… it's pretty good, but it certainly can't beat yours, Pep."

"Mmm Hmm… I should warn you… my daughter isn't always the best at keeping secrets," Pepper told him.

As if on cue, the little girl poked her head into the room, giggling a little at her mother's words.

Peter gave her a playful smile and teased, "Traitor."

Morgan giggled again and ducked back out of the room.

May laughed and patted his hand, "Come on… we better get out their before Morgan eats all the food." Peter peeled back the covers and stood to follow the women out of the room. May leaned towards him as if to tell him a secret, but spoke loud enough for Pepper to hear. "Between you and me, I think Morgan prefers this bacon, too!"

"Oh... very funny, May," Pepper called back over her shoulder as they left the room. She smirked at her friend, "She's mostly just happy that her Aunt MayMay didn't make it."

Peter laughed at Pepper's joke, earning a disapproving glare from his aunt. May's eyes twinkled good naturedly, though, proving that she wasn't actually offended.

As they made their way to lunch, Peter couldn't help but feel like today was going to be better.

* * *

The day had, of course, started normally. Waking up to May's gentle words and Pepper's encouragement, the sound of Morgan's laughter, eating a meal with the team… everything was fine. At least until someone put a glass of water on the table for Peter. Morgan was sitting across from him, and he noticed how her eyes grew wide and her face went pale at the sight of the water sitting there. Peter wasn't even sure who set the water down. He just seemed to get lost in a flood of memories, and his stomach churned viciously.

Peter tried to excuse himself without making a scene. However, he had to move quickly if he was going to make it. Once he was away from prying eyes, Peter found the closest waste bin and immediately lost his lunch. Unfortunately, the others heard the sounds of his distress. As Peter breathed through the nausea and caught his breath he could hear the others questioning about the problem.

"It was the water," he heard Morgan explain. "I don't think he wanted any."

The others fell silent, likely feeling guilty for causing him such an unpleasant reaction.

"What do we do?" He heard May ask. "He needs to stay hydrated."

"He must know that we would never do anything to his water," Pepper added.

"Of course he does," Clint answered. "I'm sure it was just a sudden and unpleasant memory."

"I know what to do," he heard Thor declare to the group.

Peter groaned. He didn't really want the attention right now, especially from the God of Thunder. Hadn't Thor seen enough of Peter at his worst? Before Peter could entertain his ideas of trying to hide from the Asguardian, he was already standing next to him.

Thor patted Peter on the back. While the big man attempted to be gentle, his meaty hand thumped loudly when he brought it down. "There now, Peter. Don't fight it. It's best to let it…"

Peter gagged again, losing the last bit of his lunch.

"... come up," Thor finished. To the god's credit, he didn't even seem fazed by Peter's illness. He chuckled slightly, surprising Peter. "I remember struggling with illness like this in New Asgard. It had been a particularly rough week… too much ale and not enough solid food. Korg and Miek had to get assistance from the Valkyrie. That was when she introduced me to this…" Thor held out a can of Ginger Ale. "She tricked me, of course. I thought perhaps she was providing me with actual ale, but the Midguardian ginger root apparently does wonders for a sour stomach."

Peter managed to lean back against a wall, bringing up his knees to lean on them. He took a breath and studied the can Thor was holding out to him. He decided a can of unopened soda was harmless and accepted the beverage with a nod of gratitude. He knew better than to drink it too fast and took a few careful sips. The cool liquid was a pleasant contrast to the bile that had left his system a moment before. "Thank you, Thor," Peter told him. He expected the god to walk away, but he instead sat down next to Peter on the floor.

"It is no trouble," he replied. "I am just pleased to see you up and about. A little stomach ache isn't enough to scare me away."

Peter studied Thor some more, surprised by the gentleness and understanding on the man's face. Peter took another sip of the soda and said sadly, "I feel like you've seen too many of my body fluids these days."

Thor gave Peter a confused look.

Peter shrugged, "I know you pulled me out. I'm sure that got a little…" Peter swallowed through another wave of nausea. "...messy."

Understanding donned the Asguardian's face. "Ah… yes…" This time Thor studied Peter before saying, "You are not the first injured soldier that I pulled from a battlefield. The youngest perhaps… but not the first."

The two Avengers sat in companionable silence, listening to the sounds of the others cleaning up from lunch. Peter wondered if anyone else would come to check on them, but no one else came… likely trusting Thor.

The God of Thunder stood suddenly, extending a hand to Peter. "Come… I think it would be good for you to stretch your legs and get away from…" Thor looked at the waste bin that contained the remains of Peter's lunch. "... here."

Peter blushed, embarrassed that he didn't suggest moving away from the foul bin himself. "Sure," he agreed, taking the hand Thor extended and getting to his feet.

They made their way outside, and Peter was relieved to be getting some fresh air.

"You mustn't give up, young Peter," Thor spoke, breaking the silence. "You still have a battle ahead of you, but you must keep fighting… stay strong."

Peter frowned, "I was hoping the worst of it was over."

Thor nodded in understanding, "Your battle now is with your own mind. You cannot let the bad memories crush your spirit."

Peter shook his head, "It's not like the memories will ever go away. How do I get over something that will always be there? I don't see how I can escape this!"

"Precisely. You cannot escape… so you must not try," Thor told him.

Peter was thoroughly confused. "What?"

Thor sighed, looking out at the countryside of Wakanda. "Not long ago, I lost a battle on these fields that I could not afford to lose."

Peter looked out to where Thor was looking. He hadn't fought Thanos in Wakanda, but he knew the story well enough.

"I was haunted by so many memories after the Decimation, and I blamed myself for what happened here… for what happened to so many of the people I loved." Thor turned to look at Peter.

Peter met his gaze, but remained silent.

"I know what it is like to lose your family, Peter. I know what it's like to feel powerless. I know what it is like to fear more loss and pain. I know what it's like to feel as though your world can never be right again."

Peter swallowed past the lump that was forming in his throat. He never really thought of Thor that way, but it was true. The man had lost his entire family, most of them through violence. Like Peter, the only family Thor had left were not blood relatives. Rather, it was a family of friends. "Why are you telling me this?" Peter asked, wondering how this was ultimately supposed to help him conquer the horrid memories.

Thor placed a strong hand on Peter's shoulder. "Because I do not want you to make the same mistakes that I did. You mustn't try to bury the memories. You may be tempted to push people away, hide from the reality of what happened, but you must face it."

Peter glanced back over the countryside of Wakanda, looking out over the same area that Thor was looking at earlier. Peter thought about the night before and how the memories made him panic. "I don't know if I'm ready to face them," he admitted.

"I understand," Thor said. "It will take some time, but… I promise… it is better to work through them." Thor grabbed Peter's shoulders and turned him so that they were face to face. "And trust me, young Peter, you must find healthy ways to face the truth. Believe me when I tell you that no amount of ale, pizza, or video games will help."

"Umm...okay," Peter said, feeling a little surprised by the examples of things to stay away from.

"I mean it… things like that can only temporarily numb the pain. You may find yourself tempted, but you must resist… be stronger than I was," Thor insisted.

"Stronger than you?" Peter asked in surprise. If Thor couldn't resist, would Peter be able to avoid things like that? Could he manage his trauma in a healthier way? "So… what should I do instead?"

"A wise question!" Thor praised. "You must trust the people who care about you. Instead of pushing them away, open up to them. Let them help you. You will not have to face the reality of this alone." Thor smiled, "You have us to help you."

Peter thought about his words. He couldn't help but think about his aunt's disappointment earlier when he chose not to talk about what happened the night before. He supposed he was already avoiding the memories. He hated the idea of facing them. It scared him. He looked at the Asguardian, noticing how the older man studied him. Peter almost felt like Thor could read his thoughts. "I'll try," Peter said. "I'll try not to avoid what happened… I think I can face it."

Thor gave him a gentle squeeze on the shoulders. "Of course you can… because we'll be right here with you."

"Thank you, Thor," Peter said, giving him a smile as they made their way back inside.

"Of course!" The man insisted. "It was my pleasure. Rest assured… you have the strongest Avenger supporting you."

Peter thought about making a joke about Bruce being back in New York, but decided to keep that thought to himself. Thor had been very helpful, so perhaps the friendly jab could be used another day.

Feeling much better, Peter followed the God of Thunder back inside. Perhaps he could start by asking May to help him overcome the anxiety associated with some much-needed fluids. It wasn't much, but it was certainly a place to start.

* * *

**A/N: I love Thor! I desperately want to see scenes of Thor and Spider-man together, but I fear Disney and Sony will keep that from happening now. :(**

**Anyway... I still love you all 3000! **


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